ETD

• haptic rendering
• haptics
• mesh deformation
• surgical simulation
• virtual reality

This thesis presents the design and implementation of a haptics-enabled virtual reality simulator for surgical training with a focus on robot-assisted sacrocolpopexy. The work integrates a virtual environment, developed in Unity3D, with a Geomagic Touch haptic interface to deliver stable force feedback while interacting with a rendered 3D anatomy of the operational site, reconstructed from patient data. The work consisted of studying and implementing the main components of a haptic simulator, such as the collision detection module, the force rendering method—with particular attention to multi-layer materials—and especially a focus on methods for simulating the deformation of biological tissues in real time following virtual contact. In this regard, three mesh deformation algorithms were implemented and their deformation outcomes were compared with the theoretical results provided by Hertzian contact theory and the output data from FEM simulations. The physical properties of the virtual models were assigned based on mechanical characterization performed on real samples simulating the various biological tissues of interest. Finally, the developed simulator was tested on a group of doctors in order to verify its effectiveness in training.