We present here a new simulator for visceral needle puncture training in interventional radiology. This is the result of a close collaboration between different universities, involving computer scientists, clinicians and clinical engineers. Together, we address the need of segmentation, physically-based modelling, haptics rendering, pseudo-ultrasound generation and the conception of a mannequin required to build an efficient real-time simulator. Clinical face and content validations have also been performed and show the reliability and effectiveness of this framework.

The requirement for training surgical procedures without exposing the patient to additional risk is well accepted and is part of a national drive in the UK and internationally. Computer-based simulations are important in this context, including neurosurgical resident training. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of a custom-built virtual environment in assisting training of a ventriculostomy procedure. The training tool (called VCath) has been developed as an app for a tablet platform to provide easy access and availability to trainees. The study was conducted at the first boot camp organized for all year-one trainees in neurosurgery in the UK. The attendees were randomly distributed between the VCath training group and the control group. Efficacy of performing ventriculostomy for both groups was assessed at the beginning and end of the study using a simulated insertion task. Statistically significant changes in performance of selecting the burr hole entry point, the trajectory length and duration metrics for the VCath group, together with a good indicator of improved normalized jerk (representing the speed and smoothness of arm motion), all suggest that there has been a higher-level cognitive benefit to using VCath. The app is successful as it is focused on the cognitive task of ventriculostomy, encouraging the trainee to rehearse the entry point and use anatomical landmarks to create a trajectory to the target. In straight-line trajectory procedures such as ventriculostomy, cognitive task-based education is a useful adjunct to traditional methods and may reduce the learning curve and ultimately improve patient safety.

Analysts wish to explore different hypotheses, organize their thoughts into visual narratives and present their findings. Some developers have used algorithms to ascertain key events from their data, while others have visualized different states of their exploration and utilized free-form canvases to enable the users to develop their thoughts. What is required is a visual layout strategy that summarizes specific events and allows users to layout the story in a structured way. We propose the use of the concept of ?storyboarding? for visual analytics. In film production, storyboarding techniques enable film directors and those working on the film to pre-visualize the shots and evaluate potential problems. We present six principles of storyboarding for visual analytics: composition, viewpoints, transition, annotability, interactivity and separability. We use these principles to develop epSpread, which we apply to VAST Challenge 2011 microblogging data set and to Twitter data from the 2012 Olympic Games. We present technical challenges and design decisions for developing the epSpread storyboarding visual analytics tool that demonstrate the effectiveness of our design and discuss lessons learnt with the storyboarding methodPeer reviewe

A proposed method visualizes the surface appearance of living human brain tissue. The goal is to investigate whether realistic models of living anatomy are possible and, if so, whether they provide added value to anatomy education and training simulators. From calibrated photography of exposed brain tissue and suitable alternatives, experiments provided data for a bidirectional reflectance distribution function, which was then used for rendering. Employing a GPU, real-time visualization of the brain's surface supported ambient occlusion, advanced texturing, subsurface scattering, and specularity.

We describe a system for dynamically animating the locomotive behaviour of arthropods (insects, spiders and numerous other species) in real‐time, facilitating realistic and autonomous traversal across an arbitrary environment. By combining a decentralised reactive behavioural model with a hybrid approach to motion that utilises the comparative advantages of physical simulation and kinematic control, our system is capable of automatically generating complex organic motion over a wide range of surface features, independent of structural complexity. The reactive embodiment of the creature, combined with the physical simulation of the virtual world enables the formation of emergent behaviours that are entirely based on circumstance, including rigid‐body interaction, grip recovery and adaptive wall climbing. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.