Evaluation of Passive Haptic Proxies for Virtual Scalpel Interaction in Medical Simulations with Virtual Reality

Liliane S. Machado; Antonio Carlos Vieira Araújo; Deivison da Silva Costa; Erberson Evangelista Vieira; Josué Guedes Ferreira; Matheus Lobato Hora Macedo; Ronei Marcos de Moraes

doi:10.5753/jis.2026.7623

Authors

Liliane S. Machado Federal University of Paraíba https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1182-2929
Antonio Carlos Vieira Araújo Federal University of Paraíba https://orcid.org/0009-0001-8739-7850
Deivison da Silva Costa Federal University of Paraíba https://orcid.org/0009-0006-6122-7956
Erberson Evangelista Vieira Federal University of Paraíba https://orcid.org/0009-0008-5059-5184
Josué Guedes Ferreira Federal University of Paraíba https://orcid.org/0009-0006-3601-7439
Matheus Lobato Hora Macedo Federal University of Paraíba https://orcid.org/0009-0004-9379-0167
Ronei Marcos de Moraes Federal University of Paraíba https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8436-8950

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5753/jis.2026.7623

Keywords:

Haptic, Proxy Haptic, Medical Simulation, Virtual Reality

Abstract

Previous studies on tactile guides in VR focused on generic tasks and diverse audiences, leaving gaps in understanding their role in specialized medical simulations. This study investigates how physical properties—weight, shape, texture, thermal sensation, and grip—affect the user experience and Sense of Agency (SoA) in a surgical context. Thirteen participants with prior surgical training manipulated four objects representing virtual scalpels, allowing a controlled evaluation of physical–virtual correspondence and ergonomic comfort. The results suggest that even moderate mismatches between physical and virtual objects can generate discomfort and reduce perceived control, highlighting the critical role of ergonomic and kinesthetic factors in precise tasks. Compared to previous works, these findings suggest that assessing multiple perceptual and motor variables in a specialized audience provides deeper insights into optimizing VR-based surgical training and designing effective tactile guidance strategies.

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