title: A virtual environment for simulated rat dissection.
abstract: Animal dissection for the scientific examination of organ subsystems is a delicate procedure. Performing this procedure under the complex environment of microgravity presents additional challenges because of the limited training opportunities available that can recreate the altered gravity environment. Traditional crew training often occurs several months in advance of experimentation, provides limited realism, and involves complicated logistics. We have developed an interactive virtual environment that can simulate several common tasks performed during animal dissection. In this paper, we describe the imaging modality used to reconstruct the rat in virtual space, provide an overview of the simulation environment and briefly discuss some of the techniques used to manipulate the virtual rat.
authors.affiliation: Lockheed Martin Space Operations, Mail Stop 239-11, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bruyns
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Montgomery
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wildermuth
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003198:Computer Simulation; D004210:Dissection; D005118:Extraterrestrial Environment; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D051381:Rats; D014584:User-Computer Interface; D018474:Weightlessness Simulation