A Dual Modeling Method for a Real-Time Palpation Simulator

This paper presents a dual modeling method that simulates the graphic and haptic behavior of a volumetric deformable object and conveys the behavior to a human operator. Although conventional modeling methods (a mass-spring model and a finite element method) are suitable for the real-time computation of an object’s deformation, it is not easy to compute the haptic behavior of a volumetric deformable object with the conventional modeling method in real-time (within a 1kHz) due to a computational burden. Previously, we proposed a fast volume haptic rendering method based on the S-chain model that can compute the deformation of a volumetric non-rigid object and its haptic feedback in real-time. When the S-chain model represents the object, the haptic feeling is realistic, whereas the graphical results of the deformed shape look linear. In order to improve the graphic and haptic behavior at the same time, we propose a dual modeling framework in which a volumetric haptic model and a surface graphical model coexist. In order to inspect the graphic and haptic behavior of objects represented by the proposed dual model, experiments are conducted with volumetric objects consisting of about 20,000 nodes at a haptic update rate of 1000Hz and a graphic update rate of 30Hz. We also conduct human factor studies to show that the haptic and graphic behavior from our model is realistic. Our experiments verify that our model provides a realistic haptic and graphic feeling to users in real-time. Keywords—Haptic Feedback, Dual Model, Palpation, Real-Time Simulation, S-chain Model