Exploring the Influence of Object Shapes and Colors on Depth Perception in Virtual Reality for Minimally Invasive Neurosurgical Training

Abstract

Minimally invasive neurosurgery (MIS) involves inserting a medical instrument, e.g., a catheter, through a small incision to target an area inside the patient's body. Training surgeons to perform MIS is challenging since the surgical site is not directly visible from their perspective. In this paper, we conducted two pilot studies focused on object shapes and colors to collect preliminary results on their influence on depth perception for MIS in Virtual Reality. In the first study (N = 8), participants inserted a virtual catheter into objects of different shapes. In the second study (N = 5), they observed the insertion of a virtual catheter into objects of different colors and backgrounds under different lighting conditions. We found that participants' precision decreased with distance and was lower with the skull shape than with a cube. Moreover, depth perception was higher with blue backgrounds under better lighting conditions.