Key Ergonomics Requirements and Possible Mechanical Solutions for Augmented Reality Head-Mounted Displays in Surgery

Abstract

In the context of a European project, we identified over 150 requirements for the development of an augmented reality (AR) head-mounted display (HMD) specifically tailored to support highly challenging manual surgical procedures. The requirements were established by surgeons from different specialties and by industrial players working in the surgical field who had strong commitments to the exploitation of this technology. Some of these requirements were specific to the project, while others can be seen as key requirements for the implementation of an efficient and reliable AR headset to be used to support manual activities in the peripersonal space. The aim of this work is to describe these ergonomic requirements that impact the mechanical design of the HMDs, the possible innovative solutions to these requirements, and how these solutions have been used to implement the AR headset in surgical navigation. We also report the results of a preliminary qualitative evaluation of the AR headset by three surgeons.