Convex Decomposition for 3D Meshes using Monte Carlo Tree Search

Summary: This paper proposes an approximate convex decomposition (ACD) method that is
superior to the existing methods. The key contributions include a collision-aware concavity
metric, splitting the 3D mesh with 3D planes, and using Monte Carlo Tree Search to find the
cuts that result in the best shapes. The results displayed in the figures show consistently better
performance that is more robust among various shapes when compared to existing methods
like HACD and V-HACD.

Strengths: The paper introduces a significant improvement in the field of ACD through its novel
approach combining a collision-aware concavity metric with MCTS for mesh cutting. This
method represents a good formulation for improving ACD by addressing and mitigating issues
present in existing methods such as HACD and V-HACD. The collision-aware metric enables
more precise and efficient decompositions. Additionally, the use of MCTS for determining
optimal cuts is a faster and better solution for the mesh cutting aspect of ACD, boasting a 100x
speed improvement in mesh cutting operations specifically, a significant improvement in
computational efficiency. The results show the method's robustness across different shapes,
demonstrating practical use for applications requiring real-time decomposition, such as in
robotics and simulation.

Weaknesses: The proposed method seems that it would perform best with a concavity threshold
specific to the object, and even then, the method would have difficulty with objects that have
small, intricate components attached to larger components. Performance seems very
dependent on the shape of the object and the chosen concavity threshold value. Additionally,
since it uses MCTS, reproducing the method on the same objects may have different results,
especially on objects where it’s difficult to converge to an optimal solution.

Reflection: The most insightful thought about the paper is how the researchers are able to
innovate on existing ACD methods, identifying key issues and addressing them in their
proposed method. The proposed concavity metric and use of MCTS demonstrate improvements
in the quality of decomposition and runtime performance. This method handles shapes with
concave surfaces better than existing methods and divides the shape into more consistent
pieces. These improvements facilitate runtime applications, such as robot simulations. The next
step in this research would be to investigate how to mitigate the reliance on the
hyperparameters, and perhaps investigate if it’s possible to apply varying levels of the concavity
threshold to local components instead of applying it globally. This method maybe very useful in
physics simulations that feature destructive components, perhaps more suitable for computer
games.