  In image-guided surgical tasks, the precision and timing of hand movements
depend on the effectiveness of visual cues relative to specific target areas in
the surgeons peri-personal space. Two-dimensional (2D) image views of
real-world movements are known to negatively affect both constrained (with
tool) and unconstrained(no tool) hand movements compared with direct action
viewing. Task conditions where virtual 3D would generate and advantage for
surgical eye-hand coordination are unclear. Here, we compared effects of 2D and
3D image views on the precision and timing of surgical hand movement
trajectories in a simulator environment. Eight novices had to pick and place a
small cube on target areas across different trajectory segments in the surgeons
peri-personal space, with the dominant hand, with and without a tool, under
conditions of: (1) direct (2) 2D fisheye camera and (3) virtual 3D viewing
(headmounted). Significant effects of the location of trajectories in the
surgeons peri-personal space on movement times and precision were found.
Subjects were faster and more precise across specific target locations,
depending on the viewing modality.
