Viewing options of rthe virtual haptic back (VHB) /

by Ji, Wei.

The purpose of the Virtual Haptic Back (VHB) project is to develop a realistic haptic/graphical model of the human back with spine that can be used for palpation (diagnosis though touch) in medical training. The goal of this research is to design, implement, and evaluate methods to improve viewing realism for the VHB project by applying 3D stereo effects and bringing the virtual model to the user’s hands like in the real world. Two methods were designed and applied to the VHB project for evaluation along with the standard 23 inch flat-screen monitor. One is the Head Mounted Display (HMD) method which works with a head tracker for VR immersion. It allows the user to view the VHB model in different angles and distances. The other one is called the Mirror Viewing System (MVS) which combines the user’s fingers with the 3D stereo VHB model image together. Osteopathic medical students evaluated these two new systems (plus the standard display). Analysis of their evaluations shows that both of these methods (especially the MVS) improve the realism of the VHB relating to the current 2D viewing system. But they have some limitations. All methods can be considered for various aspects of future VHB project development. Robert L. Williams II Professor of Department of Mechanical Engineering