Arc-Length Parameterized Spline Curves for Real-Time Simulation

Parametric curves are frequently used in computer animation and virtual environments to control the movements of synthetic objects. In many of these applications it is essential to efficiently relate parameter values to the arc length of the curve. Current approaches to compute arc length or to construct an arc-length parameterized curve are impractical to use in real-time applications. This paper presents a simple and efficient technique to generate approximately arc-length parameterized spline curves that closely match spline curves typically used to model roads in high-fidelity driving simulators.