Design of Haptic Transfer Functions for Diffusion Tensor Values

Abstract

When visualizing volume datasets, we frequently feel that optical occlusion makes it hard to comprehend spatial location (esp. depth) of target objects precisely. Haptization is a well-known technique to address this problem. A key to the success of effective haptization is judicious design of appropriate haptic transfer functions (HTFs) tailored specifically to a given dataset. Our primary focus in this study is placed on 3D diffusion tensors. Due to rapid increase in the availability of related scanning devices, the analysis of diffusion tensors has recently attracted much attention from related researchers. This paper is an initial report, where we strive to present a novel 6DOF HTF, which utilizes 3D forces and 3D torques sophisticatedly to convey the core information of diffusion tensor values. The effectiveness of a pilot implementation of the 3D diffusion tensor haptaization using PHANToM Premium 3.0 is proven through user evaluation experiments.