Richard Rowe

University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences

Papers

Total Citations

164

H-Index

About

Richard Rowe is a leading figure in computational geometry and interactive simulation, best known for his seminal work on collision detection. His highly cited survey, "Collision Detection: A Survey" (2007), with 164 citations, remains a foundational resource for researchers and engineers in computer graphics, surgical simulation, and robotics. Rowe’s major contributions lie in systematically categorizing and analyzing the diverse methods for determining when two or more bodies make contact—a critical process for realistic virtual environments and safe autonomous systems. By providing a clear taxonomy of spatial partitioning, bounding volume hierarchies, and continuous collision detection techniques, he has helped shape how modern simulations handle complex, real-time interactions. His work has directly influenced the development of haptic feedback in medical training simulators and efficient path planning for robotic manipulators. Rowe’s ability to distill a vast, interdisciplinary field into an accessible framework has made his survey an enduring reference, guiding both newcomers and experts toward more robust and performant collision detection solutions.