Natural Interaction For Medical Simulation And Training

Skills training is of primary importance for healthcare professionals. New technologies such as natural interfaces and virtual reality bring new possibilities in learning outcomes especially if used synergically exploiting some principles derived from the so-called serious gaming interfaces. Virtual reality combined with natural interaction interfaces, through which natural gestures can be used to control interaction, have been primarily used in the medical field for the development of rehabilitation systems. However, such technologies are also promising for the implementation of decision support and skill training systems since they can improve users engagement in task completion and team based activities through immersivity and physical participation. In this chapter we are going to give an overview of the current state of medical simulation, considering issues and new perspectives, and to explain why immersive digital systems and natural interaction are important and can contribute to improving medical training. A large literature on immersive and natural interaction systems is reviewed highlighting good practices and limits. New opportunities offered by the recent development of virtual reality, especially if combined with computer vision systems, are introduced.