Haptic interaction with highly detailed objects

Haptic exploration of detailed models from patient specific anatomical structures places high demands on computational resources. Constant collision detection and correct calculation of forces fed back to the operator quickly exceed available processing power with increasing level of detail of the represented objects. To alleviate the strain on computational resources optimisation schemes are employed to speed up processing and guarantee glitch-free operation as well as smooth haptic feedback. Among these are the generation of a local haptic model, a look-ahead strategy to increase its range of validity, small world-shift operations and force extrapolation algorithms for smooth feedback.