System and methods for interactive training of procedures

System for training persons to perform a procedure involving manual dexterity and/or eye-hand coordination, said system comprising:

• a computer system with one or more processors capable of processing computer program instructions, storage means for storing computer program instructions and data files, and input/output means for receiving input data and outputting data resulting from operations performed by said processing means under control of said program instructions,
• said storage means including a pre-designed geometrical scene description representing a training environment, and a pre-defined procedure description file with information sampled from an instrument input device during execution of the relevant procedure or data derived from such sampled input information and a series of topological stamps,
• said program instructions including instructions for making the computer system perform the functions of
• controlling a geometrical scene description stored in said storage means and representing a training environment, receiving input control signals representing manipulation of objects in said training environment, and of delivering output signals representing a graphical description of said environment,
• delivering data from said pre-defined procedure description file as simulator input control signals in order to create an animated simulation when the system is in an animation mode,
• delivering data received from an instrument input device connected to the computer input/output means to the simulator when the system is in an interactive mode, and
• tracking the progress of any interaction relative to the topological stamps in the procedure file in order to administrate transitions from interactive mode animation mode and vice versa.

Method for creating a procedure description for use in a computer system for training persons to perform a procedure involving manual dexterity and/or eye- hand coordination, said method comprising:

• loading a pre-defined geometrical scene description into a computer based simulator system,
• sampling input information from an instrument input device while the relevant procedure is being performed on the simulator system,
• storing said samples as an input parameter log,
• combining the input parameter log or data derived from the input parameter log with topological stamps that represent topological events taking place during the execution of the procedure, and
• storing the resulting combination in a procedure description file.

Method for training persons to perform a procedure involving manual dexterity and/or eye-hand coordination on a computer based simulation system, said method comprising:

• loading a pre-defined geometrical scene description and a pre-defined procedure description file with information sampled from an instrument input device during execution of the relevant procedure or data derived from such sampled input information and a series of topological stamps, into a computer based simulator system,
• delivering data from said pre-defined procedure description file as simulator input control signals in order to create an animated simulation when the system is in an animation mode,
• delivering data received from an instrument input device connected to the computer input/output means to the simulator when the system is in an interactive mode, and
• tracking the progress of any interaction relative to the topological stamps in the procedure description file in order to administrate transitions from interactive mode to animation mode and vice versa.