MA/MSc Internship for EUGLOH program

Keywords: Human-Computer Interaction, Virtual Reality, haptic fidelity, medical simulation

Internship Duration: 30/11/-1 - 30/11/-1

Context
This internship is part of the research axis of the IBISC laboratory on surgical simulation. It will be carried out as part of a research project in collaboration with the Centre Hospitalier Sud Francilien (CHSF).
Research problematic
Virtual reality-based simulators can significantly improve medical training [4, 6]. These tools allow the training of the necessary technical and psychomotor skills to perform surgical tasks (e.g., instrument handling, knotting, and tissue dissection). However, there is currently a lack of guidelines for defining the appropriate levels of interaction fidelity for these systems. In this context and as part of a research project in collaboration with the CHSF, we plan to study the fidelity of interactions in a regional anesthesia simulator. The research problematic to be addressed in this internship will concern the study of haptic interaction fidelity in these simulators and to evaluate its impact on the user experience and the learners’ performance. To carry out this work, we will rely on our preliminary studies on the subject [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10] and on the virtual simulator that we have already developed (figure 1) within our team. This work will provide more answers regarding the design of immersive tools for learning technical skills in medicine.
Work description
1. Conducting a literature review of the research field,
2. Identifying the system constraints and characterize the haptic interactions to be included. This task will be carried out with our clinical partners through observations in the operating theaters and discussions with experts.
3. Improving the existing simulation prototypes by designing new haptic interactions,
4. Carrying out user studies to evaluate the prototypes. This will consist of assessing the technology design choices,
5. Publishing the results in a national or an international conference.

Link: https://www.ibisc.univ-evry.fr/offre-de-stage-master-2-equipe-ira2-etude-de-la-fidelite-des-interactions-haptiques-dans-un-simulateur-danesthesie-locoregionale-see-english-version-below/

Qualifications
Good experience in design and programming (Unity 3D/C#), knowledge of 3D interactions, haptic interfaces, and user-centered design. Skills in mechatronics will be appreciated. High interest in research, teamwork, and multidisciplinary work.
Work conditions
The work will be done within the IRA² team at the IBISC Lab. An experimental platform (EVR@) and existing virtual environments for surgical simulation will be available. The trainee will constantly interact with the team’s PhD students, postdocs, and other trainees. He/she will also be invited to participate in research meetings with the project partners and to conduct field studies.
Compensation: ~550€/month

[1] Chellali, A. Mentis, H. Miller, A., Ahn, W., Arikatla, V.S. et al. (2016) Achieving Interface and Environment Fidelity in the Virtual Basic Laparoscopic Surgical Trainer.
[2] Mentis, H.M., Chellali, A., Cao, C.G.L., Schwaitzberg, S.D. A Systematic Review of the Effect of Distraction on Surgeon Performance: Directions for Operating Room Policy and Surgical Training (2015). Surgical Endoscopy, 30 (5), pp. 1713-1724, Springer
[3] Ricca, A. Chellali, A., Otmane, S. (2021) The influence of hand visualization in tool-based motor-skills training, a longitudinal study. In the proceedings of IEEE Virtual Reality and 3D User Interfaces 2021 Conference (IEEE VR), pp. 103-112

• Engineering
• Information and Data sciences, Maths