Real-time Fragmentation of Solid Material
using the Finite Element Method
Summary
This thesis is within the field of simulated surgery and motivated by
the current demand for an educational tool teaching the common
procedure of wisdom tooth extraction. Attention is focused on how to
simulate the fragmentation that will separate the crown of the tooth
from its roots. We present a general method for crack prediction
and propagation in volumetric solids based upon real-time structural
analysis. The analysis is conducted using the finite element method
and the Total Lagrangian Explicit Dynamics solving technique with
a parallel approach. The stress and strain analysis are based on the
theoretical laws of physics and the crack prediction is based on the
theory of maximum principal stress from fracture mechanics. The
failure surface as predicted by the crack tracking algorithm looks
very promising. The location and curvature of the failure surface
corresponds to the stress analysis and the intuition of how an object
would actually fracture. Benchmarking the simulation model reveals
great potential towards real-time interaction and visual feedback.