Evaluation of the virtual mirror as a navigational aid for augmented reality driven minimally invasive procedures

The paper presents a user study investigating perceptual effects of a virtual mirror being used as a tangible interactive tool in a medical Augmented Reality scenario. In particular, we evaluated whether an additional perspective provided by the virtual mirror supports instrument guidance in terms of precision and straightness. 31 participants were asked to navigate an endoscopic instrument in a simulated minimally invasive port setting. Results show a significant higher precision of instrument guidance when a virtual mirror provides additional views of the target region.