Learning and Training with Force Feedback for an Acupuncture Education System

Abstract

It is mostly important in acupuncture to become highly skilled by training with repeated practice. However, such practice can hardly be done on a real human body, which may always be accompanied with pain and misery. In this study, a computer training system with force feedback for acupuncture was proposed. A human acu-points model with acu-point name, position, meridians, stinging techniques and healing functions was created within the computer, and devices with force feedback functions for skill training were used in the system. A trainee gets acupuncture experience not only by visual information, but also from sensing the force information with a true-false judgment of his movement being real-timely given during the exercise.