About this Research Topic

Background

This Research Topic is part of a series: Volume I.

Background:

Many professions require dexterous manipulation and so initial and continuing hands-on training. For example, in the medical context, simulators such as animals, cadavers or phantoms have been a convenient way to learn by trial for decades. Yet these training supporting resources are expensive, non-continuously available, may raise ethical issues, and provide a limited set of study cases to practice on. These difficulties limit the opportunities of trainee populations in performing hands-on training during their curriculum. It is necessary to provide cost-efficient solutions facilitating the hands-on practice on any study case at any time as often as necessary.

For a decade, Virtual Reality (VR) simulators have been designed to overcome the aforementioned drawbacks. With such devices, which can be parameterized on-line, it becomes possible to provide an infinite set of study cases and, further, to adapt difficulty level to a specific learning curve. VR simulators have been progressively improved to provide trainees with a more realistic environment in 2D and more recently in 3D. With haptic training simulators, the additional force feedback provides a realistic interaction, which has been demonstrated as an efficient training for advanced tasks in some medical contexts. Airplane pilot simulators are a sample of a widespread solution for hands-on training on difficult situations without taking any risk and with the ability to objectively assess each performance. They have become a necessary step before training on real planes.

Goal:

This Research Topic aims to foster the design of (even more) efficient (from the pedagogical and/or usage point of view) haptic simulators.

Scope:

The simulators studied in this Topic have a hands-on training purpose, in any application field. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

• haptic interfaces
• haptic rendering
• computer graphics
• virtual/augmented/mixed reality
• motion capture/analysis
• cognitive performance
• specific types of training e.g. laparoscopic training.

Details for Authors:

Design contributions, generic control, design methods, user and performance evaluation, original research and review manuscripts are welcome.

Keywords: Haptic Interfaces, Haptic Rendering, Simulation, Hands-On Training, Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality, Mixed Reality

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

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