Virtual Environment for Surgical Planning and Analysis (VESPA) The VESPA system allows the surgeon to bring up a computer-generated model of their patient and to visualize, quantify, and interact with the patient's data in order to plan a surgery.
Reconstruction of Volumetric Elements (ROVE) The ROVE system generates a computer model of a patient directly from thei CT or MRI scan data. This model can then be used within the VESPA system to examine the patient's condition and plan their surgery.

Soft Tissue Modeling Our main research effort has been in creating a simulator that can accurately model the dynamics of soft tissue at real-time, interactive rates.

Soft Tissue Parameter Estimation In order to do quantifiably correct soft-tissue modeling it is essential to derive the physical properties of real soft tissue. We have an ongoing research project to derive these properties directly from real soft-tissue.

Distributed Haptics We are developing technologies to support networked, distributed haptic simulation. In this way, multiple users can share the same virtual environment space and each feel and interact with the same object. The major application we are working toward is shared virtual surgery.

Next-Generation Internet(NGI) The Next Generation Internet project is a collaboration with the SUMMIT group. The idea of the project is to investigate how medical education can be improved by using Internet2. We are developing networked, distributed surgical simulators to allow multiple training surgeons to collaborate on the same virtual surgery.

Surgical WorkBench (SWB) The Surgical WorkBench (SWB)is an integral part of the Virtual Environment for Surgical Planning and Analysis (VESPA) system. This 4-foot by 6-foot interactive, stereo display allows the surgeon to see and interact with the data of their patient. Other surgeons can also collaborate using such a large virtual model display. This display, unlike other commercially available displays, is the only one specifically designed for medical applications.

 

Virtual Surgical Tools We have developed a number of surgical instruments that are augmented to make them specialized computer input devices. The computer can sense the position and orientation of each of these devices. In addition, it can sense the function of these devices, such as the closure of the virtual forcep (tweezers).

 

Text-In, Voice-Out (TIVO) Module We are developing a system for taking in text (from a serial line) and producing human speech. This system is an integral part of the VERS system, so that the system can communicate directly with the surgeon/user. It is based on the excellent speech generation research from the AI DuPont Children's Hospital/University of Delaware.

 

Voice-In, Text-Out (VITO) Module We are also developing a system for recognizing human speech and outputting text (via a serial line). This system is an integral part of the VESPA system, so that the surgeon/user can communicate directly with the virtual environment system. It is based on the excellent speech recognition software available from Dragon Systems, Inc.

 
Cyberware 3D acquisition system The Cyberware laser scanning system allows us to capture a high resolution mesh of a patient's face or other body parts. We then use this mesh with the VESPA system to allow surgeons to plan their surgeries.

Stereo Vision Glasses We have stereo display devices, such as CrystalEyes and SimulEyes glasses from StereoGraphics Corporation. These allow the surgeons and researchers to truly see their data in 3D.