Restoration of realistic animation is a critical part in the area of computer graphics. The goal of this sort of simulation is to imitate the behavior of the transformation in real life to the greatest extent. Physics-based simulation provides a solid background and proficient theories that can be applied in the simulation. In this proposal, the problems of  terrain deformation and ship oscillations will be addressed.

When ground vehicles navigate on soft terrains such as sand, snow and mud, they often leave distinctive tracks. The realistic simulation of such vehicle-terrain interaction is important for ground-based visual simulations and many video games. However, the existing research in terrain deformation has not addressed this issue effectively. A new terrain deformation algorithm for simulating vehicle-terrain interaction in real time is presented here. The algorithm, which is based on classic terramechanics theories, calculates terrain deformation according to the vehicle load, velocity, tire size, and soil concentration. As a result, this algorithm can simulate different vehicle tracks on different types of terrains with different vehicle properties.

In the field of ship oscillation simulation, a new method for simulating ship motion in waves is showed here. Although there has been plenty of previous work on physics-based fluid-solid simulation, most of these methods are not suitable for real-time applications. In particular, few methods are designed specifically for simulating ship motion in waves. My method is based on physics theories of ship motion, but with necessary simplifications to ensure real-time performance.

Committee
Dr. Ying Zhu (chair)
Dr. G. Scott Owen
Dr. Rajshekhar Sunderraman
Dr. Dajun Dai