Neural Data Exploration with Force Feedback

Abstract

The behavior of the brain depends to a large extend on its neural structure. Therefore, understanding this neural topology is a high-priority research line for neurobiologists. Due to complexity of the brain's neural structure, visual representations look tangled, and extracting knowledge from them is a difficult task. In this work, we propose the use of multimodal interfaces to enhance neurobiologists' understanding of neural data. Our system is based on four pillars: a stereo rendering module, a camera control system, a visual aid unit, and a haptically constrained navigation tool. We observe that haptically aided navigation helps neurobiologists analyze the brain's topology. Our system uses stylus-based haptic devices with two purposes: they provide a natural interface to deal with 3D data (controlling camera motion) and they constrain the user's motion. The system was built trying to keep user interactions as intuitive as possible.