title: A virtual-reality-based haptic surgical training system.
abstract: To improve training facilities for surgeons, a surgical training system based on virtual reality techniques has been developed. The goal of the developed system is to improve education of surgeons by making the knowledge of expert surgeons directly available to trainees. The system realizes two different approaches: the library and the driving school paradigm. In its current form, the system consists of two modules. The main module combines the virtual reality kernel KISMET, a visual and haptic display, and a database of different operations and/or techniques. The master station is a copy of the input and output facilities of the main module. Both modules communicate by a TCP/ IP-based connection. Initial tests demonstrated the feasibility of the chosen framework. Further developments include the gathering of data not only from virtual reality but also from real operations. Robotic-assisted surgery provides an attractive way of accomplishing this.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Robotics and Mechatronics, German Aerospace Center, Wessling, Germany. holger.weiss@dlr.de
authors.forename: Holger
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Weiss
authors.forename: Tobias
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ortmaier
authors.forename: Heiko
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Maass
authors.forename: Gerd
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hirzinger
authors.forename: Uwe
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Kuehnapfel
mesh_terms: D003196:Computer Graphics; D003198:Computer Simulation; D006801:Humans; D013514:Surgical Procedures, Operative / Q000193:education*; D014584:User-Computer Interface