Haptic volume visualization based on finite element method

Abstract

In this thesis, we propose a haptic volume visualization technique that enables people to feel haptic feedback in volumetric data. The existing haptic rendering techniques have a limitation in that people can feel haptic feedback only for the surface extracted through the isometric surface of the volumetric data. We propose a method to enable people to feel haptic feedback on the inside of volumetric data as well as surface of the data. The deformation produced by the haptic probe inside the volumetric data is simulated using the finite element method. The haptic feedback is modeled using the stresses and strains resulting from the simulation. This allows users to feel haptic feedback inside the volumetric data and provide a richer experience when they interact with volumetric data. The proposed technique can be applied not only to volumetric data consisting of a single material but also to volumetric data consisting of several kinds of materials with an additional internal structure. The proposed method not only expresses the difference between distinct materials through material properties such as Young's modulus and Poisson's ratio, but also provides stable haptic feedback when moving from one material to another material. In order to perform the simulation within the haptic rendering time while using the finite element methiod, we performed simulation on region where actual deformation is happening rather than executing the finite element method for the entire volumetric data.