Virtual Human + Tangible Interface = Mixed Reality Human An Initial Exploration with a Virtual Breast Exam Patient
Aaron Kotranza, Benjamin Chak Lum Lok · 2008
Virtual human (VH) experiences are receiving increased attention for training real-world interpersonal scenarios. Communication in interpersonal scenarios consists of not only speech and gestures, but also relies heavily on haptic interaction–interpersonal touch. By adding haptic interaction to VH experiences, the bandwidth of human-VH communication can be increased to approach that of human-human communication. To afford haptic interaction, a new species of embodied agent is proposed–mixed reality humans (MRHs). A MRH is a virtual human embodied by a tangible interface that shares the same registered space. The tangible interface affords the haptic interaction that is critical to effective simulation of interpersonal scenarios. We applied MRHs to simulate a virtual patient requiring a breast cancer screening (medical interview and physical exam). The design of the MRH patient is presented. This paper also presents the results of a pilot study in which eight (n = 8) physician-assistant students performed a clinical breast exam on the MRH patient. Results show that when afforded haptic interaction with a MRH patient, users demonstrated interpersonal touch and social engagement similarly to interacting with a human patient.