Novel 3-DOF Simulated Annealing-Based Haptic Rendering Algorithm

Abstract

Haptic rendering requires high sampling rates and a quasi-instantaneous, ultra-low latency, response. Existing algorithms for collision detection are sequential in nature and are difficult to parallelize. A novel 3-DOF haptic rendering algorithm has been developed based on the simulated annealing algorithm. The simulated annealing algorithm is applied to find the collision between the haptic interface point and the virtual object. When there is no collision, the shortest distance between the haptic interface point and the virtual object will be returned. To test the haptic rendering algorithm basic geometric shapes have been used to confirm the feasibility of the developed algorithm. When choosing suitable object-dependent values for the simulated annealing parameters it becomes clear that the average update frequency reaches well above the desired update frequency of at least 1 kHz, including both the collision detection as well as the constraint-based force response, while obtaining high-fidelity force feedback. Finally, the simulated annealing algorithm lends itself perfectly for the development of dedicated hardware implementations to achieve massive parallel execution for different parts of the simulated annealing algorithm, which further increases the update frequency. Due to this increase in update frequency it will be possible to run the simulated annealing algorithm multiple times within one haptic loop (i.e. 1 kHz) and find multiple contact points simultaneously.