Drawing as an activity aids problem solving, collaboration, and presentation in design, science, and engineering and artistic creativity as well as expression in the arts. Unfortunately, blind, and partially sighted learners still lack an inclusive and effective drawing tool, even in the digital age. In response, this research aims to explore what an effective drawing tool for blind and partially sighted individuals (BPSI) would be. Raised-line drawing kits aim to provide this, but in prior work, our usability tests of raised line graphics with blind and partially sighted participants rated the raised line graphics that we tested as barely comprehensible relative to 3D models, which they rated as highly comprehensible. Semi-structured interviews with our participants afterward suggest that they found 3D models to be more comprehensible because these are consistent with haptic principles of perception whereas conventions of raised line graphics, such as a line representing a surface edge, replicate visual cues of source images and thereby violate haptic principles of perception. Therefore, we hypothesize that a drawing tool for blind and partially sighted drawers could be effective by recruiting affordances of 3D models. Through co-design sessions conducted during the Covid-19 pandemic with blind and partially sighted drawers (BPSD), we prototyped a tangible 3D model construction kit for non-visual haptic drawing with a digital interface to a 3D virtual environment. Our current investigation of user needs is informing us of our ongoing iterative development of an accessible 3D scanning application that is enabling blind and partially sighted individuals to build and scan in 3D models constructed from a more flexible range of materials beyond what was possible with our previous prototype.

The principle of “As Low As Reasonably Achievable” or ALARA is taught through laboratory practices composed of lectures and simulations to maintain the radiation exposure at a minimum. Hands-on practices are limited due to the health risks associated with radioactive exposure, leading to the development of virtual, augmented, and mixed reality simulations that pose no harm to trainees. This article presents the development of a virtual reality (VR) model for attenuating radiation visualization during runtime, employing numerical simulation with VR. Our attenuation model responds dynamically to the environment and does not rely on precalculated radiation fields as other works in the literature. Our approach also includes game elements to enhance the laboratory experience. Our goal is to understand the effects of the virtual environments on usability, engagement, completion time, and radiation dose exposure. Preliminary results indicate that the gamified version was found more engaging as participants felt more competent, less frustrated, and more immersed; it was also perceived as more usable with a SUS score of 81.87/100 in comparison to the nongamified with a SUS score of 58.12/100. Participants were faster when completing the nongamified version with an average of 103.28 ± SD 41.26 s in comparison to 175.31 ± SD 91.16 s with the gamified version. Finally, participants received 2.11 mSv less dose exposure with the nongamified version. We believe that practicing the ALARA principle in VR can offer insights on how trainees approach and work around radiation sources, as not necessarily the faster completion results in less exposure.

This paper presents the results of a preliminary experiment that examined the accuracy of drill depth perception using auditory cues only. The results of this experiment will form the basis of a larger study that will investigate the effects of simulated drilling within medical-based training/educational tasks for online teaching employing non-specialized, consumer-level devices/hardware available to trainees in their homes.

Despite its importance in the real-world, manual (hand) dexterity is often ignored in medical-based virtual training environments that have traditionally focused on cognitive and affective skills development. Psychomotor (technical) skills, particularly those related to manual dexterity, are fundamental to various medical procedures and ignoring them in virtual based training tools can lead to a sub-optimal training experience. Here, we present a novel, consumer-level data glove that provides accurate user interactions involving the proximal and medial phalanges, interactions that are relevant in many manual dexterity tasks. We also outline how this novel data glove is being incorporated into an existing serious gaming platform for anesthesia training that currently focuses on cognitive and affective skills development only. The addition of psychomotor skills development through the adoption of simulated tactile feedback will provide a more complete serious gaming training platform.

Cardiac auscultation is a routine medical examination whereby using a stethoscope placed over various regions of the patient's chest, a health care professional listens to the patient's hear murmurs to diagnose their heart condition. Cardiac auscultation training has evolved from relying on patient and audio recordings to employing simulation manikins, multimedia, mobile applications, and most recently digital simulations, including virtual reality (VR) that allows training without the limitations of physical laboratories. Typically, at a consumer-level VR headset orientation is used to identify areas of attention and trigger interactions, while high-end headsets make use of eye tracking. This paper presents a work in progress comparison between headset orientation and eye tracking employing two different VR controllers to understand focus on items on screen. Preliminary results indicate that participants spent a significant amount of time browsing the scene rather than relevant objects for the examination. With respect to the tracking methods, eye tracking was the most reliable, thus highlighting the need for thoughtful headset tracking. Future work will focus on a larger study to develop a tool to enhance VR headset interactions by understating how they compare to gaze captured data for more effective interactions and navigation in VR for successful training.

According to the World Health Organization, there are more than one billion people with moderate or severe distance vision impairment or blindness worldwide in 2020. Due to recent COVID-19 safety measures, online events have moved to online platforms in order to maintain physical distancing. The transition towards online gatherings have shown gaps associated with technology and internet access, along with lacking accessibility, which has resulted in reactive responses to improve usability by adding captioning, compatibility with screen readers, and image captioning to cite some examples. However, traditional video conference lacks immersion and presence otherwise found in virtual reality (VR), for example Mozilla Hubs, Engage VR, AltspaceVR, and Virbela amongst others. Although these services and consumer-level hardware are becoming ubiquitous, there are still accessibility challenges to be met when designing VR experiences. In this work-in-progress paper we explore the design of an inclusive web-based VR application that simulates registering at a virtual conference and navigating to a presentation room. Our preliminary study focused on usability and engagement by inviting participants to experience the demo eyes closed. Our preliminary results show the audio cues were helpful to navigate the environment without visual feedback.

In this article, we present the anesthesia crisis scenario builder (ACSB) framework prototype that allows for the development of (or modification of existing) anesthesia crisis resource management-based virtual simulations. The ACSB framework was developed specifically to allow medical educators, who may have a limited (if any) programming/software development background, to replicate and edit anesthesia scenarios based on preprogrammed steps from the anesthetic crisis manual. The scenarios can be developed simply and intuitively using a graphical user interface. Results of a preliminary study examining the usability of the ACSB framework indicate the ease of creating a crisis scenario with limited, if any, programming knowledge.

Simulators in medical procedures are important tools for learning, teaching and training allowing practices in a wide range of scenarios of life-like situations. In the field of vascular access, the use of virtual reality has been emerging as a complement to address the current problems due to the low availability of simulation manikins for training and its high cost. Intraosseous access in newborns is an invasive, fast and effective medical procedure of high complexity employed in critically ill newborns as an option to access veins after peripheral access has failed. Due to vein vasoconstriction present in neonatal shock and cardiorespiratory arrest among other life-threatening conditions it is difficult to perform any other forms of venous access. Intraosseous access requires the proper handling of the related equipment and knowledge, this is only possible with continuous training that cannot be done in real patients. Mastering this technique is required to preserve patient's life, achieve a good recovery and reduce the risk of infection or even death. This paper presents the development of a newborn's intraosseous access simulator for training covering the required steps involved in the procedure. To increase the immersion of the simulation, a force feedback haptic device is integrated to simulate the needle insertion beneath leg tissues to the bone with a biomechanical tissue model, which is the more important skill to be developed in this procedure, and a consumer head mounted display to provide a stereo view of the operation room to give depth to the user when approaching to the patient leg. Our preliminary results were evaluated by a medical expert in terms of usability of the prototype.

Recent hardware and computational advancements are providing the opportunity to develop virtual simulations and serious games with high levels of (visual) fidelity using off-the-shelf consumer-level hardware. However, so far, these applications have generally been restricted to cognitive skills training given the complexities and costs associated with high-end haptic-based rendering inherent in a variety of applications including those related to medical-based technical skills development. In the visual domain, sound has been shown to influence the perception of visual fidelity perception yet little, if any work has investigated the effect of sound on haptic fidelity perception. In this paper, we examine the influence of sound on haptic fidelity perception in a virtual drilling scenario to determine whether the low fidelity haptic feedback associated with lower-end, consumer level haptic devices can be compensated for through the use of sound. Although our results are preliminary, they do indicate that sound can o influence (increase) haptic fidelity perception.

Anthropometry is known as the science that studies the human body dimensions, this measurements are acquire using special devices and techniques whose results are analyzed through statistics. Anthropometry plays an important role within the industrial design process in areas such as clothing, ergonomics, and biomechanics, where statistical data about body medians allow optimizing product design. Recently, image processing and hardware advances are allowing the development of applications that allow an user to preview wardrobe, costumes, games or advergames and even different types of environments according to the user measurements. This project proposes the development of a complimentary tool for acquiring user anthropometric data for characterizing users in the Mil. Nueva Granada University in Colombia, South America using Microsoft's Kinect skeletal tracking for developing and assess the design of workspaces in several areas such as laboratories.

Central venous access is an invasive medical procedure of high complexity used in critically ill patients. Its implementation requires great skills and knowledge from a health care specialist. Advances in patient simulators present solutions regarding children and adults, however, newborn simulators are scarce. This paper presents the development of a newborn's central venous access simulator for training and educational purposes. The simulation system is composed of three main subsystems: a procedural simulation, showing how the procedure must be correctly performed; a haptic subsystem for increasing realism; and finally a newborn manikin with image projection for guiding the procedure.

Augmented reality allows simulating, designing, projecting and validating robotic workcells in industrial environments that are not equipped with real manipulators. In this paper a study and implementation of a gestural programmed robotic workcell through augmented reality is presented. The result was an interactive environment in which the user can program an industrial robot through gestures, accomplished from the development of a computer based framework.