In this thesis, we present computationally efficient methods for visualization and simulation of molecular interactions in virtual environments with haptic feedback. In our simulations, the haptic device is used to guide a rigid ligand molecule into a receptor site while the molecular forces acting on the ligand molecule are scaled and reflected to the user in real-time. We demonstrate that the...

A new field of robotics is emerging. Robots are today moving towards applications beyond the structured environment of a manufacturing plant. They are making their way into the everyday world that people inhabit. This paper focuses on models, strategies, and algorithms associated with the autonomous behaviors needed for robots to work, assist, and cooperate with humans. In addition to the new c...

In this work, the design and implementation of several physics scenarios using haptic devices are presented and discussed. Four visuo-haptic applications were developed for an undergraduate engineering physics course. Experiments with experimental and control groups were designed and implemented. Activities and exercises related to classical mechanics concepts were applied in virtual scenarios....

Our group is interested in using haptic display for training tool use. Applications include training doctors to use tools during surgery, and training astronauts to use tools during EVA. This paper describes some of the challenges of creating realistic haptic perceptions of tool use. Many of these challenges stem from the importance of unilateral constraints during tool use. Unilateral constrai...

Our group is interested in using haptic display for training tool use. Applications include training doctors to use tools during surgery, and training astronauts to use tools during EVA. This paper describes some of the challenges of creating realistic haptic perceptions of tool use. Many of these challenges stem from the importance of unilateral constraints during tool use. Unilateral constrai...

A myriad of surgical tasks rely on puncturing tissue membranes (Fig. 1) and cutting through tissue mass. Properly training a practitioner for such tasks requires a simulator that can display both the graphical changes and the haptic forces of these deformations, punctures, and cutting actions. This paper documents our work to create a simulator that can model these effects in real time. Generat...

We present techniques for the visual and haptic simulation of bone surgery, with a specific focus on procedures involving the temporal bone and the mandible. We discuss our approaches to graphic and haptic rendering and interactive modification of volumetric data, specifically focusing on generating force-feedback effects that are relevant to bone drilling. We then discuss how our rendering pri...