Foundation of Trust

Peer-Reviewed Science

The technology powering DARERL’s Virtual Human Twins is built upon decades of foundational, peer-reviewed research in biomechanics, hyper-elastic simulation, and computational anatomy authored by our founding team.

Textbook (Graphics Series) 2005

Physics-based Animation

Authored by K. Erleben, J. Sporring, K. Henriksen, H. Dohlmann

The highly cited, definitive textbook covering the full pipeline of physical simulation, from kinematics to collision detection. This work represents the holistic architectural knowledge required to build an enterprise-grade physics engine from the ground up.

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Computer Graphics Forum 2014

Interactive simulation of rigid body dynamics in computer graphics

Authored by J. Bender, K. Erleben, J. Trinkle

A foundational state-of-the-art report on rigid body dynamics. This paper details the core mathematical solvers required to simulate real-time, interactive physical scenarios without computational breakdown.

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ACM Transactions on Graphics 2019

Non-smooth newton methods for deformable multi-body dynamics

Authored by M. Macklin, K. Erleben, M. Müller, et al.

A critical breakthrough for simulating human tissue. This research introduces methods to efficiently and stably compute interactions involving deformable, squishy bodies (like skin and muscle) interacting with complex, rigid structures (like devices).

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ACM SIGGRAPH 2022

Contact and friction simulation for computer graphics

Authored by S. Andrews, K. Erleben, Z. Ferguson

A masterclass on formulating contact as a complementarity problem. This work dives deep into barrier functions and anisotropic friction, guaranteeing that the grip, slip, and tactile feedback generated by DARERL twins mirrors real-world physics.

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The Visual Computer 2011

A hyper elasticity method for interactive virtual design of hearing aids

Authored by S. Darkner and K. Erleben

A direct application of DARERL’s core mission. This paper introduces a parallel method for general non-linear hyper-elasticity modeling, establishing how to interactively test hardware against the complex, squishy behavior of the human ear canal.

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IEEE Access 2023

Deep-learning-based segmentation of individual tooth and bone with periodontal ligament interface details for simulation purposes

Authored by P. Xu, T. Gholamalizadeh, F. Moshfeghifar, S. Darkner, K. Erleben

Bridging the gap between AI and biomechanics. This methodology proves our capability to extract complex human biology from scans and build multi-layered twins that react to pressure just like living tissue interfaces.

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Advanced Modeling and Simulation 2021

Contact modeling from images using cut finite element solvers

Authored by S. Claus, P. Kerfriden, F. Moshfeghifar, S. Darkner, K. Erleben, C. Wong

This paper details advanced methodologies for simulating contact mechanics directly from medical imaging, bridging the gap between raw scanning data and actionable, physics-based simulations for product design.

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IEEE TPAMI 2012

Locally orderless registration

Authored by S. Darkner and J. Sporring

An exploration into robust mathematical models that map and register varying biological data. This foundational research enables DARERL to confidently process diverse datasets of human anatomies to extract true statistical variance.

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Multibody System Dynamics 2019

A joint-constraint model for human joints using signed distance-fields

Authored by M. Engell-Nørregård, S. Niebe, K. Erleben

Crucial for creating Virtual Human Twins that move realistically. This model establishes how to mathematically constrain digital human joints so they mimic the exact range of motion and physical limits of a real human.

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MICCAI 2007

Analysis of deformation of the human ear and canal caused by mandibular movement

Authored by S. Darkner, R. Larsen, R. R. Paulsen

A vital study mapping how human anatomy physically changes during motion. By understanding how jaw movement deforms the ear canal, this research enables our twins to simulate dynamic biological strain rather than just static poses.

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Computer Methods and Programs in Biomedicine 2023

Open-Full-Jaw: An open-access dataset and pipeline for finite element models of human jaw

Authored by T. Gholamalizadeh, F. Moshfeghifar, K. Erleben, et al.

Demonstrates our capability to generate end-to-end, highly complex biological systems. By creating open pipelines for finite element modeling, we validate the robustness of the data structures fueling DARERL.

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Computer Graphics Forum 2022

Differentiable depth for real2sim calibration of soft body simulations

Authored by K. Arnavaz, M. K. Nielsen, P. G. Kry, M. Macklin, K. Erleben

This research validates how we tune our software to match reality. By comparing real-world soft-tissue deformation against simulated output, this framework allows the physics engine to automatically calibrate itself to perfectly mirror biological tissue.

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arXiv (Preprint) 2021

gradSim: Differentiable simulation for system identification and visuomotor control

Authored by K. M. Jatavallabhula, M. Macklin, K. Erleben, et al.

Pioneering work in differentiable simulation, empowering the physics engine to learn and adapt. This ensures that the digital interactions between virtual twins and digital prototypes can be optimized using modern AI and control systems.

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Computer Methods and Programs in Biomedicine 2024

A systematic comparison between FEBio and PolyFEM for biomechanical systems

Authored by L. Martin, P. Jain, Z. Ferguson, K. Erleben, et al.

Rigorous benchmarking of biomechanical simulation engines. By actively testing and comparing computational limits, this research guarantees that the numerical methods backing DARERL are mathematically sound and industry-leading.

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IEEE Access 2025

Collision Constraints & Diffeomorphisms: Dealing with Physics in Deformable Image Registration

Authored by T. Alscher, J. Petersen, F. Lauze, K. Erleben, S. Darkner

The absolute state of the art in medical image processing. This framework ensures that when extracting anatomy to build our Virtual Twins, tissue layers slide and deform accurately with zero physically impossible self-intersections.

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