PhD Defence Mostafa Selim | Haptic Kinesthetic Feedback for Percutaneous Interventions

Haptic Kinesthetic Feedback for Percutaneous Interventions

Mostafa Selim is a PhD student in the department Robotics and Mechatronics. (Co)Promotors are dr.ir. M. Abayazid; prof.dr.ir. S. Stramigioli and dr.ir. D. Dresscher from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science (EEMCS), University of Twente.

Touch plays a fundamental role in how humans perceive and interact with the world from the earliest stages of development. In robotic surgery, haptic feedback aims to restore aspects of this sense during teleoperation by conveying both tool–tissue interaction forces and guidance cues to the clinician. This thesis investigates the use of kinesthetic haptic feedback in teleoperated needle insertion procedures, with a particular focus on CT-guided interventions, where limited real-time visual feedback and concerns about radiation exposure make alternative forms of sensory support especially relevant.

The thesis is organized into two complementary parts. The first examines enhanced kinesthetic haptic feedback that amplifies guidance cues and needle–tissue interaction forces, and evaluates its effects on targeting performance, user confidence, and reliance on limited visual feedback. Following a pilot study with non-medical participants, the approach was refined and subsequently assessed with clinicians and medical students. The second part investigates teleoperated needle insertion using dynamic visual indicators, augmented reality and three-dimensional visualization, and passive kinesthetic guidance. It examines how visual and haptic assistance strategies can provide comprehensive guidance while preserving user autonomy and adapting to environmental constraints. Together, these studies demonstrate how intuitive multimodal feedback can support safer, more precise, and more natural minimally invasive interventions while reducing dependence on repeated CT imaging.