Computation for Interactive Simulation

The workshop advanced the state of the art in geometry and computation for interactive simulation by introducing to each other researchers from different branches of academia, research labs and industry. These researchers share the common goal of improving the interface between geometry and computation for physical simulation – but approach it with differing emphasis, techniques and toolkits. A key issue for all participants is to shorten process times and to improve the outcomes of the design-analysis cycle. That is, to more quickly optimize shape, structure and properties to achieve one or multiple design goals. Correspondingly, the challenges laid out covered a wide spectrum from hierarchical design and prediction of novel 3D printed materials, to multi-objective optimization minimizing fuel consumption of commercial airplanes, to creating training scenarios for minimally invasive surgery, to multi-point interactive force feedback for virtually placing an engine into a restricted cavity. These challenges map to challenges in the underlying areas of geometry processing, computational geometry, geometric design, formulation of simulation models, isogeometric and higher-order isoparametric design with splines and meshingless approaches, to real-time computation for interactive surgical force-feedback simulation. The workshop was highly succesful in presenting and contrasting this rich set of techniques. And it generated recommendations for educating future generation of researchers in geometry and computation for interactive simulation (see outcomes). The lower than usual number of participants (due to a second series of earth quakes just before the meeting) allowed for increased length of individual presentations, so as to discuss topics and ideas at length, and to address basics theory. Especially in the second half of the week, this encouraged speakers to present ideas on controversial topics, such as illuminating to the downside of interactivity in simulation for some applications, and to present unpublished results.