9726362 Barsky, Brian Sastry, S. Shankar University of California, Berkeley Challenges in CISE: Virtual Environments for Telesurgery and Surgical Training: Efficient Computation, Visualization and Interaction This research is focused on virtual environments for telesurgery and will result in software testbeds for eye and abdominal surgery. The development of these testbeds depends on the integration of the following research activities: Tissue modeling and rendering. For effective surgical training in virtual environments, deformable models of tissue are needed with sufficient accuracy, yet fast enough for real time interaction. Beginning with continuum models of solid behavior, suitable approximations will be developed that account for the compliance of tissue and the deformation of organs in the presence of a surgical tool. Methods for representing and rendering tissue shape, especially aspects that affect lighting models that provide important visual cues, will be compared. Haptic interaction with simulated models. There has been little work done or kinesthetic perception and display of compliant surfaces. Subjects' perception of compliance will be measured under a variety of conditions to provide requirements for object modeling algorithms, and for teleoperation and haptic display schemes with high fidelity. Real time data fusion and 3-D visualization. Although surgeons have a variety of data sources available, they are not integrated into a useful 3-D model. A major difficulty in integrating real time data during surgery is compensating for shape changes due to deformability. Vessels and ducts will be used to provide road-maps to locate important features. Training and interaction with simulation. Modeling, rendering, and display factors that contribute to an environment that will be effective for training, yet efficient enough to run in real time will be determined. Using a set of fundamental skills, the contribution of these factors to training transfer in students and experienced surgeons will be experimentally studied.
