The god-finger method for improving 3D interaction with virtual objects through simulation of contact area

In physically-based virtual environments, interaction with objects generally happens through contact points that barely represent the area of contact between the user´s hand and the virtual object. This representation of contacts contrasts with real life situations where our finger pads have the ability to deform slightly to match the shape of a touched object. In this paper, we propose a method called god-finger to simulate a contact area from a single contact point determined by collision detection, and usable in a rigid body physics engine. The method uses the geometry of the object and the force applied to it to determine additional contact points that will emulate the presence of a contact area between the user´s proxy and the virtual object. It could improve the manipulation of objects by constraining the rotation of touched objects in a similar manner to actual finger pads. An implementation in a physics engine shows that the method could make for more realistic behaviour when manipulating objects while keeping high simulation rates.