Applications Of Haptics In Medicine

Touch is one of the most important sensory inputs during the performance of surgery. However, the literature on kinesthetic and tactile feedback both called haptics in surgical training remains rudimentary. This rudimentary knowledge is partial since that haptic feedback is difficult to describe, as well as record and playback. This chapter aims at focusing on the use of haptics in the training of medical staff and also as a complementary tool for robotized and remote procedures. It provides an overview of the various available technologies to perform haptic feedback and details on how haptic guidance can enhance surgical skill acquisition. A critical review of available haptic interfaces vis-a-vis medical interventions to be performed is provided. The chapter ends with an illustration merging the advantages of usual supervised hands-on training and the ones offered by computer-based training: dual-user training simulators.