BladeMaster: Real-Time Robotic Cutting Simulation with Online-Generated Persistent Discontinuities

arXiv cs.GR details BladeMaster, a GPU-accelerated cutting framework built on the total Lagrangian material point method. The core trick is to store cutting history directly on material points using persistent side labels generated online from the blade geometry, so the sim can preserve discontinuities after the tool leaves.

That matters because cutting is one of those problems where shape change and topology change collide: once you separate material, you still need the new faces to behave correctly. BladeMaster is designed to avoid predefined cut surfaces and particle duplication, while still supporting progressive and intersecting cuts.

The system also models material-material contact, so cut faces can recontact and slide without reconnecting, and it includes two-way tool-material coupling so reaction forces can push back on the tool. In practice, the authors say it handles tool-driven cutting followed by manipulation at faster-than-real-time speeds on representative tasks.

For game developers, the appeal is obvious for destruction, medical, or fabrication-style interactions where believable post-cut behavior is usually the hard part. The exact production cost and integration path into a game engine aren't spelled out, but the approach points toward more stable runtime cutting without authoring fracture geometry up front.