PhD Studentship: Digital Haptics and Proprioceptive Learning in Surgery. Department of Public Health and Sports Sciences, UQ-Exeter Institute PhD Studentship (Funded) for January 2027 Entry

Research Problem and Significance 

Virtual Reality (VR) represents a disruptive shift in the modern training ecosystem, increasingly adopted across healthcare, defence, and manufacturing. However, a critical human-centred design challenge emerges: users typically interact with these virtual environments through controller-based interaction, which is largely devoid of the haptic (touch-based) cues that are a core part of real world interactions. The consequences for embodied learning without haptic feedback in digital environments remain largely unknown. As VR training proliferates across sectors, establishing evidence-based principles for haptic design is paramount for responsible innovation. 

Relatedly, literature in motor control suggests that proprioception is a primary driver of skill acquisition. Seminal work by Wong and Gribble (2012) demonstrated that passive proprioceptive training—where the limb is moved by a robot—can induce significant improvements in active motor performance. This implies that "feeling" the correct movement can be a mechanism to improve skill learning, akin to the far larger body of work on observational learning in surgery (e.g., Lebel, Haverstock, Cristancho, van Eimeren, & Buckingham, 2018).   

Research Aims and Objectives   

1. To determine which haptic cues are critical to optimize sensorimotor learning in surgical contexts.  
2. To investigate if proprioceptive cues delivered though a haptic device to guide the user through ideal trajectories can replicate the learning benefits observed in fundamental motor control research within a complex VR surgical tasks.
3. To establish evidence-based design principles for haptic feedback in VR training systems, using surgery as a test-case   

Proposed Research Approach and Methods  

At Exeter, the candidate first will conduct a series of experimental tasks using 3D Systems Phantom Touch devices (robotic arms which provide force feedback of simulated physical contact while measuring movement kinematics and force output). These will be integrated with bespoke VR simulations of surgical tasks developed in collaboration with our industry partner, FundamentalXR, adapted to be delivered with and without haptic cues. Then, at UQ the candidate will work with computer scientists to design paradigms that compare "active" learning (standard VR) against "proprioceptive" learning (haptically guided movement), measuring outcomes such as path efficiency, force consistency, and transfer of training to novel tasks.   

Originality and Innovation 

This project is highly innovative in applying fundamental theories of human motor control to address a critical gap in immersive training design. It moves beyond the current standard of visual-dominant VR to a multisensory approach that respects the physicality of surgical practice, enabled by an interdisciplinary team combining Experimental Psychology, Computer Science, and Clinical Surgery.   

Deliverables and Contribution to Knowledge  

The outcomes will serve as a roadmap for the next generation of how haptic feedback can underpin VR in surgery and beyond. We expect this work to yield high-impact publications and support follow-on funding applications to the EPSRC or Innovate UK regarding haptic technologies in healthcare and wider tele-robotics.

Contact

Questions about this project should be directed to Associate Professor Gavin Buckingham at G.Buckingham@exeter.ac.uk 

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