Virtual reality based simulations of surgery have shown promise in assisting surgical training, surgical planning, pre-operative rehearsal, and intra-operative execution. Development of an effective virtual environment requires real-time interactivity and realistic visualization.

Simulating deformable organs can be a heavy duty for a computer. This project presents an original method to allow real time deformation on complex virtual objects. The technique consists in creating much simpler models using filling spheres and 3 dimensional elastic links.
Spheres symbolize volume and mass while links connect these entities together to create complex skeletons. Links have elastic and damping properties, which can be parameterized in conjunction with the physical properties of the real object

Simulating heart beets or blood pulsing though arteries can be rendered in real time simply by pulsing the radius of the spheres or by contracting elastic links. These behaviors are presented in the movies.

"Deformation of Virtual Objects, the filling sphere approach"
 Conti F.
Rapport de Diplome, Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne, Switzerland - March 1999

"A Virtual Reality and Force Feedback Based Endoscopic Surgery Simulator"
 Baur C., Conti F., Guzzoni D.
MMVR 1998 Art, Science, Technology. Healthcare Revolution, Strendney. January 28-31, 1998

Last update: 11 - 2001 by F.Conti