Prof Bob Stone
Chair in Interactive Multimedia Systems
University of Birmingham
Department of Electronic, Electrical & Computer Engineering
Edgbaston
Birmingham B15 2TT
UK
Tel.: (+44) (0)121 414-7395 (Direct Line)
Mobile: (+44) (0)7740 858901
http://www.eng.bham.ac.uk/eece/people/stone.htm  

profbobstone@aol.com

r.j.stone@bham.ac.uk  

University of Birmingham

The University of Birmingham boasts in excess of 20,000 undergraduate and postgraduate students, with around 2000 members of staff. It has an annual income in excess of £200 million, and is one of a leading group of ten research-based Universities in the United Kingdom. In the 1996 UK Research Assessment Exercise, the University was the sixth most successful university in the UK for research excellence. The University is a founding member of Universitas 21 (www.universitas.edu.au/), an elite group of top research universities throughout the world, and is one of only twenty-five European institutions to be awarded the distinction of a Jean Monnet European Centre of Excellence (www.bham.ac.uk/JeanMonnet/index.html) by the European Commission, in recognition of interdisciplinary expertise in European Affairs. The Electronic, Electrical & Computing Engineering Department (www.eng.bham.ac.uk/eece/) has around 700 students and 27 academic staff with an annual income of around £6.7 million. It received top marks (24/24) for its teaching excellence in the last UK Teaching Quality Assessement Exercise, and a grade 5 (internationally leading) rating in the UK Research Assessment Exercise. The Interactive Systems Research Group within the EECE is host to skilled personnel from many human-centred disciplines - psychologists, educationalists, social scientists, and ergonomists - along with software designers and engineers. Through a combination of scientific, psychological, technological and social approaches to the design of human-technology systems, the group develops methods of analysing how people perform complex tasks in organizational settings, subsequently applying the analyses to the development of systems that are not just usable, but also useful and appropriate to the workplace. Partnerships with Kodak and other major companies including IBM, British Telecom and Fujitsu will mean that the findings of the group can directly influence the design of computer products that will be found in hospitals, homes, schools and offices. The NoE Wolfson Centre, based within the University School of Surgery at Manchester’s Royal Infirmary, was established via UK Department of Health and Wolfson Foundation funding in 1994. The Centre’s original remit was to conduct – through focused research and experimental prototype development – critical evaluations of emerging human interface technologies and systems and their appropriateness for future medical and surgical practice, from Virtual Reality to O.R.-support robotics. The Centre hosts surgical skills courses, supports medical staff in the execution of postgraduate study, pioneers the introduction of new surgical technologies and works with blue-chip organisations and small-to-medium sized enterprises involved in innovative developments in medicine and surgery. The directors of the Centre (Dr R. McCloy and Prof. R.J. Stone) are also members of the UK National Health Service’s new NEAT Committee (New and Emerging Applications of Technology; www.neatprogramme.org.uk).

Track Record. The University of Birmingham has a good track record of involvement in European projects. In particular, the research team related to this proposal is involved in two framework V IST projects (Lab of Tomorrow and MobiLearn) and is developing the consortium for a major Framework VI project on mobile learning technology. The group has experience of developing applications for medical practitioners, with many years experience in the design, development and evaluation of computer-based training systems for radiography. The group has also much experience in the design, development and evaluation of virtual reality systems, particularly as vehicles for training specific skills. Furthermore, the group has been working on the development and integration of sensors into wearable computers and ambient intelligence applications. The NoE Wolfson Centre is particularly focused on the application of human-centred design techniques to the introduction of interactive technologies into surgical training and in support of O.R.-based applications. Examples include MIST (Minimally Invasive Surgical Trainer), the world’s first affordable keyhole surgery skills trainer based on Virtual Reality (today marketed by Mentice of Sweden - www.mentice.com/prod/mist.html), developed by the NoE Wolfson team. From an EU perspective, a recent project, codenamed IERAPSI (http://www.vmwc.org/projects/ierapsi/) received high clinical scores during EU project evaluations, by virtue of the attention paid to human-centred design issues in the development of hardware and software suitable for temporal bone/mastoidectomy simulation. A final example has been the

ergonomic appraisal of the interface between the surgeon and an endoscopic support robot (Nerolap), conducted in 2002/2003 under MedLINK/DoH funding – the results of which are highly relevant to the technologies being considered for the present project. The key personnel proposed for direct involvement with this project are of a highly respected international standing in the field of interactive systems, human-centred design and innovative surgical technologies and include Prof. Eur Erg Robert J. Stone, Chair in Interactive Multimedia Systems within the EECE and Co-Director of the NoE Wolfson Centre, Dr Chris Baber, Senior Lecturer in Interactive Systems within the EECE and Mr Rory McCloy, MD FRCS, Consultant Surgeon at the Manchester Royal Infirmary, also Co-Director of the NoE Wolfson Centre. Short biographies and selected publications have been provided

under separate cover. These personnel bring a unique blend of education, experience and skills to the project, focusing on human-centred design and evaluation issues, technology prototyping, software support and clinical deployment.

Key Personnel:

Biographies and Selected Publications

Professor Robert J. Stone

BSc (Hons), MSc, C.Psychol, AFBPsS, EurErg, FErgS, FIoN, FVRS

Prof. Bob Stone holds a Chair in Multimedia Interactive Systems at the University of Birmingham. He graduated from University College London in 1979 with a BSc in Psychology, and in 1981 with an MSc in Ergonomics (Human Factors), and currently holds the position of Visiting Professor of VR within the Faculty of Medicine at Manchester University. In 1996, he became an Academician of the Russian International Higher Education Academy of Sciences (Moscow). An accomplished Ergonomist (UK and Europe accreditation), As a result of his pioneering in-theatre human task analysis efforts, which led to the development of the world’s first commercial keyhole surgery trainer (MIST), Bob holds the position of Director of Virtual Reality Studies for the North of England Wolfson Centre for Human-Centred Surgical Technologies. He sat on a working party on behalf of the Royal College of Surgeons’ Joint Committee on Higher Surgical Training (JCHST) investigating the assessment of surgical training and competence (1999-2002) and, in January 2000, passed the Royal College of Surgeons of England Basic Surgical Skills course. His most recent medical work has involved the analysis or mastoidectomy and temporal bone surgical skills, culminating in the development of an EU-sponsored simulation system. He has also acted in the role of ergonomics consultant to a recent MedLINK/DoH-sponsored project addressing the development of a new generation of endoscopic surgical support robots. Bob’s work in telerobotics, VR and human factors has received a variety of awards and he is regularly invited to keynote at major international events.

• “Position and Orientation Sensing in Virtual Environments”; Sensor Review; 16(1); 1996; 42-48.

• “An Historical Perspective on Virtual Reality Simulation, Robotics and Telepresence”; Annual Scientific Meeting of the Association of British Surgeons of Great Britain & Ireland; Bournemouth; April 9-11, 1997.

• “The Future is Minimal, The Future is Virtual”; Annual Scientific Meeting of the Association of British Surgeons of Great Britain & Ireland; Bournemouth; April 9-11, 1997.

• “Minimally Invasive Surgery: The Surgeon’s Interface” (with R McCloy); in proceedings of the 150 th Anniversary Symposium of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, “Visions of Tomorrow - Improving the Quality of Life Through Technology”; London, Mechanical Engineering Publications, 1997; 171-178.

• “MISTVR: A Virtual Reality Trainer for Laparoscopic Surgery Assesses Performance” (with M.S. Wilson et al.); Ann.R.Coll.Surg.Engl.; 79; 1997; pp. 403-404.

• “Learning Rate for Laparoscopic Surgical Skills on MIST VR, a Virtual Reality Simulator: Quality of Human-Computer Interface”; (with Chaudry, Sutton, Wood and McCloy); Ann. R. Coll. Surg. Engl.; 81; 1999; pp. 281-286.

• “The Opportunities for Virtual Reality and Simulation in the Training and Assessment of Technical Surgical Skills”; in Proceedings of Surgical Competence: Challenges of Assessment in Training and Practice (conference organised by the Royal College of Surgeons and Smith & Nephew Foundation); 2 November, 1999; pp. 109-125.

• “An Integrated Simulator for Surgery of the Petrous Bone” (with John, Thacker, Pokric, Jackson, et al.); in Westwood, J.D. (Ed.), Medicine Meets Virtual Reality 2001, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, January 2001. IOS.

• “Virtual Reality. Virtual and Synthetic Environments: Technologies and Applications”; in Karwowski, W. (Ed.), International Encyclopaedia of Ergonomics and Human Factors; Taylor & Francis; 2001.

• “From Engineering to Surgery: The Harsh Realities of Virtual Reality”; Chapter 8 in “Information Technologies in Medicine, Volume II: Rehabilitation and Treatment” (Eds.: Metin Akay & Andy Marsh); John Wiley & Sons; 2001.

• “Robotics and Microsurgery”; BBC Online Robot World Special Review Feature; August, 2001 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/robots/review/submicro2.shtml).

• “Virtual Reality for Interactive Training: An Industrial Practitioner’s Viewpoint”; International Journal of Human-Computer Studies; 55(4); October, 2001; pp.699-711.

• “Re-Viewing Reality: Human Factors of Synthetic Training Environments” (with A Stedmon, University of Nottingham); International Journal of Human-Computer Studies; 55(4); October, 2001; pp.673-698.

• “Virtual Reality in Surgery and Medicine” (with R McCloy); British Medical Journal; 323; 2001; pp. 912-915.

Dr. Chris Baber

Chris Baber is a Senior Lecturer in Interactive Systems and has been at the University of Birmingham since 1990. His research concerns human interaction with technology. Of particular relevance to this proposal, are Baber’s work on virtual reality for training (Arthur et al., 1999; Boud et al., 2000;Moody et al., 2002a, b), augmented reality (Baber et al., 2001) and pervasive computing (Baber, 1997; Baber and Baumann, 2002). He has just completed a book on the ergonomics of handheld tools. Over the past five years, he has received funding EPSRC (wearable computers for the emergency services), EU IST (Lab of Tomorrow & MobiLearn) and UK MoD, as well as many grants from industry. In 2002 he was co-organiser of the EuroHaptics conference that ran at The University of Birmingham and attracted over 200 delegates from researchers across the world with an interest in haptic virtual reality.

• Arthur, J.G., McCarthey, A.D., Wynn, H.P., Harley, P.J. and Baber, C., 1999, Weak at the knees? arthroscopic surgery simulation of user requirements, capturing the psychological impact of VR innovation through risk-based design, In M.A. Sasse and C. Johnson (eds) Interact '99, Amsterdam: IOS Press, 360-366

• Baber, C., 1997, Beyond the desktop: designing and using interaction devices, New York: Academic Press

• Baber, C. and Baumann, K. (2002) Embedded Human Computer Interaction, Applied Ergonomics,33 273-287

• Baber, C., Bristow, H., Cheng, S-L., Hedley, A., Kuriyama, Y., Lien, M., Pollard, J. and Sorrell, P. (2001) Augmenting Museums and Art Galleries, In M. Hirose (ed) Interact’01, Amsterdam: IOS Press, 439-446

• Boud, A., Baber, C., and Steiner, S., (2000) Virtual Reality for Assembly, Presence:Teleoperators and Virtual Environments, 9 (5) ,486-496

• Moody, C.L., Baber, C., and Arvanitis, T.N., 2002. Objective Surgical Performance Evaluation Based on Haptic Feedback, Medicine Meets Virtual Reality 02/10, Digital Upgrades: Applying Moore's Law, Studies in Health Technology and Informatics, Amsterdam: IOS Press, 304- 310

• Moody, C.L., Baber, C., Arvanitis, T.N. and Elliott, M. (2003) Objective metrics for the evaluation of simple surgical skills in real and virtual domains, Presence: Teleoperators and Virtual Environments, 12 (2)

Mr Rory F. McCloy

BSc MD FRCS

Mr Rory McCloy is Senior Lecturer and Consultant Surgeon at the Manchester Royal Infirmary, Manchester UK where he is Administrative Head of the University Department of Surgery and Lead Consultant of the Pancreato-Biliary Service. He is also the Director of the North of England Wolfson Centre for Minimally Invasive Therapy. His main research interests have been in the pathophysiology of upper gastrointestinal diseases and for most of his career has had a strong interest in the medical and surgical management of acid-related diseases. Mr McCloy is the editor/author of 8 books and 18 chapters and 153 papers and abstracts in the field of upper gastrointestinal medicine and surgery. Mr McCloy has been Secretary of the Endoscopy section of the British Society of Gastroenterology and has been intimately involved with audit, working parties and educational courses on IV sedation and procedural safety for endoscopy. Currently Mr McCloy is involved in projects on new technologies in medicine including telemedicine, 3D imaging, virtual reality and surgical simulation as well as robots in the operating theatre. He is regularly involved with committees and working parties for the Department of Health (UK Government) and the Royal College of Surgeons of England.

• R J Stone, R F McCloy, “Virtual environment training systems for laparoscopic surgery; Activities at the UK’s Wolfson Centre for Minimally Invasive Therapy”; The Journal of Medicine and Virtual Reality 1996; 1: (2): 42-51.

• M S Wilson, A Middlebrook, C Sutton, R Stone, R F McCloy, “MIST VR: a virtual reality trainer for laparoscopic surgery assesses performance”; Annals Royal College of Surgeons of England 1997; 79: 403-404.

• R McCloy, “The application of virtual reality technologies to surgical training”; In: B Kellock, Ed. World Medical Technology Update 97/98. London: Kensington Publications and Royal Academy of Engineering, 1997: pp 48-50.

• R F McCloy, R Stone, “Minimally invasive surgery: the surgeon’s interface”; Proceedings 150 th Aniversary Symposium Institution of Mechanical Engineers: Visions of Tomorrow - Improving the Quality of Life Through Technology. London, Mechanical Engineering Publications, 1997: 171- 178.

• R G Nair, D C Dunn, S Fowler, R F McCloy, “Progress with cholecystectomy: improving results in England and Wales”; British Journal of Surgery 1997; 84: 1396-1398.

• A Chaudhry, C Sutton, J Wood, R Stone, R McCloy, “Learning rate for laparoscopic surgical skills on MIST VR, a virtual reality simulator: quality of human-computer interface”; Annals of Royal College of Surgeons 1999; 81: 281-286.

• R McCloy, R Stone “Science, medicine and the future: virtual reality in surgery”; BMJ 001;323: 912-915.

• Dorafshar AH, O’Boyle DJ, McCloy RF., “Effects of a moderate dose of alcohol on simulated surgical performance”; Surgical Endoscopy 2002; 16: 1753-1758.

• Gor, Mounna, McCloy R, Stone R, Smith A., “Virtual reality laparoscopic simulator for assessment in gynaecology”; BJOG: an International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology 2003; 110: 181-187.

• Elsharief Deena, Murphy Aine, Ballester P, McCloy R. Comparison of large and small screen images for laparoscopic surgery – a simulator and operating theatre based study. Presented at the Medicine Meets Virtual Reality Conference: 11 th Annual Conference, Newport Beach, California, 22-25 th January 2003 (pp 37-38).

Publications

[UoB1] “The Opportunities for Virtual Reality and Simulation in the Training and Assessment of Technical Surgical Skills”; in Proceedings of Surgical Competence: Challenges of Assessment in Training and Practice (conference organised by the Royal College of Surgeons and Smith & Nephew Foundation); 2 November, 1999; pp. 109-125.

[UoB2]  “An Integrated Simulator for Surgery of the Petrous Bone” (with John, Thacker, Pokric, Jackson, et al.); in Westwood, J.D. (Ed.), Medicine Meets Virtual Reality 2001, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, January 2001. IOS.

[UoB3]  “Virtual Reality. Virtual and Synthetic Environments: Technologies and Applications”; in Karwowski, W. (Ed.), International Encyclopaedia of Ergonomics and Human Factors; Taylor & Francis; 2001.

[UoB4]  “From Engineering to Surgery: The Harsh Realities of Virtual Reality”; Chapter 8 in “Information Technologies in Medicine, Volume II: Rehabilitation and Treatment” (Eds.: Metin Akay & Andy Marsh); John Wiley & Sons; 2001.

[UoB5]  “Robotics and Microsurgery”; BBC Online Robot World Special Review Feature; August, 2001 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/robots/review/submicro2.shtml).

[UoB6]  “Virtual Reality for Interactive Training: An Industrial Practitioner’s Viewpoint”; International Journal of Human-Computer Studies; 55(4); October, 2001; pp.699-711.

[UoB7]  “Re-Viewing Reality: Human Factors of Synthetic Training Environments” (with A Stedmon, University of Nottingham); International Journal of Human-Computer Studies; 55(4); October, 2001; pp.673-698.

[UoB8]  “Virtual Reality in Surgery and Medicine” (with R McCloy); British Medical Journal; 323; 2001; pp. 912-915.

[UoB9]  Baber, C., 1997, Beyond the desktop: designing and using interaction devices, New York: Academic Press

[UoB10]  Baber, C. and Baumann, K. (2002) Embedded Human Computer Interaction, Applied Ergonomics,33 273-287

[UoB12]  Baber, C., Bristow, H., Cheng, S-L., Hedley, A., Kuriyama, Y., Lien, M., Pollard, J. and Sorrell, P. (2001) Augmenting Museums and Art Galleries, In M. Hirose (ed) Interact’01, Amsterdam: IOS Press, 439-446

[UoB13]  Boud, A., Baber, C., and Steiner, S., (2000) Virtual Reality for Assembly, Presence:Teleoperators and Virtual Environments, 9 (5) ,486-496

[UoB14]  Moody, C.L., Baber, C., and Arvanitis, T.N., 2002. Objective Surgical Performance Evaluation Based on Haptic Feedback, Medicine Meets Virtual Reality 02/10, Digital Upgrades: Applying Moore's Law, Studies in Health Technology and Informatics, Amsterdam: IOS Press, 304- 310

[UoB15]  Moody, C.L., Baber, C., Arvanitis, T.N. and Elliott, M. (2003) Objective metrics for the evaluation of simple surgical skills in real and virtual domains, Presence: Teleoperators and Virtual Environments, 12 (2)

[UoB16]  R McCloy, R Stone “Science, medicine and the future: virtual reality in surgery”; BMJ 001;323: 912-915.

[UoB17]  Dorafshar AH, O’Boyle DJ, McCloy RF., “Effects of a moderate dose of alcohol on simulated surgical performance”; Surgical Endoscopy 2002; 16: 1753-1758.

[UoB18]  Gor, Mounna, McCloy R, Stone R, Smith A., “Virtual reality laparoscopic simulator for assessment in gynaecology”; BJOG: an International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology 2003; 110: 181-187.

[UoB19]  Elsharief Deena, Murphy Aine, Ballester P, McCloy R. Comparison of large and small screen images for laparoscopic surgery – a simulator and operating theatre based study. Presented at the Medicine Meets Virtual Reality Conference: 11 th Annual Conference, Newport Beach, California, 22-25 th January 2003 (pp 37-38).