Shape Recognition and Selection in Medical Volume Visualisation with Haptic Gloves

Abstract

Volume-visualised medical images are translucent objects that are hard to perceive accurately. Yet 2D image segmentation is used to distinguish some parts of the volume and make them more understandable. Many studies have proposed haptic feedbacks to find organs inside the body, but it is not easy to feel the shape of the part with using those devices. We realised that better results can be achieved via devices with more than one-point feedback. We describe a method that makes a user feel the shape in the same way we perceive the shape of an object in a dark room with the help of our tactile sense. Hence modern haptic devices such as "HaptX" and "Manus VR" gloves help us to imagine organ shapes by controlling the amount of forces on each fingertip. Another method is also proposed that guides a user to select intended parts of a volume, which is a fast manual segmentation tool but in an immersive VR or AR environment with a much more convenient interface.