Collaboration across specialties: it’s part of what sets us apart as an entity of a state university and we love the perks and new research opportunities that it presents. Most recently, Kent State University College of Podiatric Medicine (KSUCPM) has had the opportunity to work with Jason Abounader, a student of Dr. Kwangtaek Kim in the College of Computer Science at Kent State University, and it’s winning competitions on an international scale.
KSUCPM Senior Associate Dean Dr. Bryan Caldwell along with Assistant Dean of Clinical Education & Research Dr. Mark Hardy worked with Jason to assist in writing his paper, An Initial Study of Ingrown Toenail Removal Simulation in Virtual Reality with Bimanual Haptic Feecback for Podiatric Surgical Training. Jason conducted the study to identify the strengths and weaknesses of an ingrown toenail removal simulation which was developed in collaboration with KSUCPM. The paper describes the methods used in 3D modeling and haptic rendering development of the simulation with virtual reality and bimanual haptic feedback. The simulation utilizes stylus-based devices that sense force magnitude and movement responding with motor resistance, wherein multiple tasks of the procedure including anesthesia, elevation, and cutting were simulated.
In the spring, Jason submitted his paper to the SAS Sensor Applications Symposium Conference held in Ottawa, Canada, where it was accepted and received the Best Poster Award. Additionally, Jason utilized the podiatric simulation work to present at the Choose Ohio First Poster Conference held at Youngstown University, where it was awarded the Best Poster Award for the design and his presentation.
Jason is continuing to work on the project as a direct PhD student starting this fall.