Realistic Simulation of Deformation for Medical Training Applications

Many computational applications for virtual medical training manipulate 3D objects that represent organs and human tissues. These representations, in function of the training requirements, may include parameters such as shape, topology, color, volume, texture and, in certain cases, physical properties such as elasticity and stiffness. An approach is presented in this paper, combining methods and models that are efficient to simulate elastic deformation, obtaining equilibrium between visual and haptic realism. Based on this model, visual and/or haptic outputs are generated for users in order to provide to learner sensations close enough to those they would have if the training were provided with real objects. The results regarding deformation processing time are compatible with those required for haptic interaction and provide adequate visual feedback from using meshes composed of a large number of polygons.