Real-Time Soft Tissue Deformation Framework for Haptic-Enabled Robotic Surgical Training in Virtual Reality

Virtual reality-based robotic surgery training has received significant attention in recent years due to its numerous advantages, notably improved safety, an enhanced learning experience, and reduced cost. The visual realism and user immersiveness of such platforms are enhanced through the integration of appropriate soft tissue deformation models.

This study presents a modified mass-spring-damper framework designed to provide stable, realistic soft tissue deformation while maintaining real-time performance, even for high-density mesh models. The proposed framework extends the conventional mass-spring model by introducing two kinds of spring-damper elements: deformation and restoring components. Optimization of the model parameters is performed through a combination of analytical derivation and empirical tuning. Various numerical simulation studies are performed to assess model restoring capability, numerical stability, and real-time performance.

The results show that the model produces physiologically realistic deformation responses, regains its initial shape characteristics when the external force is removed, and provides a stable response in real-time simulation. A high performance rate of 171.11 frames per second is achieved on high-density mesh models consisting of approximately 29,754 vertices. Moreover, the deformation solver consistently maintains an average update frequency of 2828.14 Hz, with a mean step time of 0.354 ms, demonstrating its real-time capability. Additional experiments involving synthetic tissue and a surgical end-effector validate the tissue response to external forces.

The ability of the proposed framework to deliver real-time performance on high-density mesh models highlights its suitability for haptic-enabled robotic surgical training environments that demand both computational efficiency and visual realism.