Physics processing unit

A physics processing unit (PPU) is a dedicated <a href="/facts/Microprocessor/Fx9CaQht">microprocessor</a> designed to handle the calculations of <a href="/facts/Physics/a7aH2y08">physics</a>, especially in the <a href="/facts/Physics_engine/lAsEdSA4">physics engine</a> of <a href="/facts/Video_game/vmTdNASJ">video games</a>. It is an example of <a href="/facts/Hardware_acceleration/ej5sM7hB">hardware acceleration</a>.
Examples of calculations involving a PPU might include <a href="/facts/Rigid_body_dynamics/ajbkweF2">rigid body dynamics</a>, <a href="/facts/Soft_body_dynamics/oGunDtW0">soft body dynamics</a>, <a href="/facts/Collision_detection/kXkE9WXv">collision detection</a>, <a href="/facts/Fluid_dynamics/y7uzSCfg">fluid dynamics</a>, hair and <a href="/facts/Cloth_modeling/GMbRMSBE">clothing simulation</a>, <a href="/facts/Finite_element_analysis/eUcfP1vn">finite element analysis</a>, and fracturing of objects.
The idea is having specialized processors offload time-consuming tasks from a computer's CPU, much like how a <a href="/facts/GPU/PTK1RQVp">GPU</a> performs graphics operations in the main CPU's place. The term was coined by <a href="/facts/Ageia/zHH7oytF">Ageia</a> to describe its <a href="/facts/PhysX/FabGhdvx">PhysX</a> chip. Several other technologies in the CPU-GPU spectrum have some features in common with it, although Ageia's product was the only complete one designed, marketed, supported, and placed within a system exclusively being a PPU.

Physics processing unit open-in-new

Physics processing unit