From: Korntham Sathirakul <ks6b+@andrew.cmu.edu>
Subject: SCI: Contact detection
Date: Thu, 22 Apr 1993 19:04:23 -0400
Organization: Doctoral student, Mechanical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA


[MODERATOR'S NOTE: Is this what computer people call "collision
detection"?  Or is this more specific to tangible objects? -- Bob
Jacobson]

Hi everybody,

    I am a graduate mech.eng. student. I am doing a project about
computer-aided assembly design. I'd would like to know if anybody
comes across solving contact detection problem. Say, giving geometric
data of two rigid bodies, moving the objects in such the way that them
interact each other, how can I know if contacts between the two
objects occure, and what types of the contacts are; point-point,
point-line, line-line, plane-point, plane-plane, or plane-line
contacts. How can I implement this contact detection algorithm in a
computer.
   
    Once all the contact locations, and types are identified
interacting forces are analized, and then the assembly design can be
evaluated whether it is a good design or not, based on how easy to
assemble. I am now searching for papers related to this subject. If
anybody would provide me the pointer to the articles in this topic,
I'll be appreciated.

    One last thing, can anyone recommend me some good books about the
following subjects:-
    
    1. geometric reasioning. (I need a kind of textbook with a good
       introduction to the subject.)
   
    2. physically-based modeling, and simulation.

Thanks alot for your help,

K.S.

=)
P.S. Would you please reply me via e-mail: ks6b+@andrew.cmu.edu