Haptics for surgical training

Haptics pertains to the sense of touch. Of the five senses endowed to human beings, the sense of touch is unique in that it provides bidirectional energy and information flow between humans and their environment. However, most current virtual environments (VE) and human computer interface (HCI) systems have primary focused on visual displays and spatialised audio displays. It has been argued that, to realise the full potential of a VE, haptic interfaces are essential. Being able to feel, touch and manipulate virtual objects in addition to visual and audio cues provides a sense of immersion that is otherwise not possible. In this presentation we first introduce the field of haptics, discuss its relevance and review haptic technologies and devices. We then look at surgical training and the use of simulators presenting current commercially available systems. The relevance and adequacy of incorporating haptics into simulator systems are discussed and conclusions regarding the future of haptics in the surgical domain are also presented.