A GPU-implemented physics-based haptic simulator of tooth drilling

Background Restorative dentistry simulation is one of the most challenging applications involving virtual reality and haptics. This paper presents a haptics-based tooth drilling simulator for dental education. Methods Unlike the existing methods, the force model is based on physical properties which consider the geometrical model of the tool. In order to provide uniform force feedback from tooth layers, a new approach is suggested in which the physical properties of each tooth voxel are subsequently used in calculating the feedback force. We implement a hashing algorithm for collision detection due to its reduced time complexity. The haptics algorithm has been implemented on a graphics processing unit using the CUDA toolbox. Results In parallel processing, the speed of haptic loop execution is increased almost 8 times. Conclusion The proposed idea for force calculation leads to a uniform sensation of force. An important feature of the designed system is the capability to run in a real-time fashion. Copyright (C) 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.