Kinect-based ultrasound probe pose estimation to build an affordable knee ultrasound learning database

Our aim is to develop an accessible virtual learning environment for ultrasound exams. In this paper, we present an affordable way to localize the ultrasound probe using a Kinect sensor. The proposed localization procedure is coupled with an existing force acquisition schema to affordably associate each ultrasound image to its probe location and the applied force. The collected information is used to build a learning database which is exploited to set up a virtual environment. This virtual ultrasound environment will encourage technology diffusion and will improve the student's accuracy in the ultrasound exam.