Modern computer games exhibit a number of elements of elementary physics. This is perhaps most visible in kinematic simulation of articulated bodies, the so-called "rag doll physics" for character animation. However, physics can also be found in fluid simulation, optical effects with participating media, and models of surface reflectance. These methods must run effectively on a range of consumer hardware, and must be fast, finishing within a fraction of the 10-30 ms time available per frame. This talk will present some of the currently popular methods and demonstrate their results, and discuss the state of consumer-level hardware to accelerate physics simulation.

Location Physics Bldg., room 401