  Recent advances in haptic hardware and software technology have generated
interest in novel, multimodal interfaces based on the sense of touch. Such
interfaces have the potential to revolutionize the way we think about human
computer interaction and open new possibilities for simulation and training in
a variety of fields. In this paper we review several frameworks, APIs and
toolkits for haptic user interface development. We explore these software
components focusing on minimally invasive surgical simulation systems. In the
area of medical diagnosis, there is a strong need to determine mechanical
properties of biological tissue for both histological and pathological
considerations. Therefore we focus on the development of affordable
visuo-haptic simulators to improve practice-based education in this area. We
envision such systems, designed for the next generations of learners that
enhance their knowledge in connection with real-life situations while they
train in mandatory safety conditions.
