Augmented reality glasses improve real-time spatial tracking and surface-level annotations on the canine head.

AR glasses significantly improve spatial annotation accuracy on canine head models without sacrificing procedural speed.

This study evaluated the feasibility, accuracy, and reproducibility of an augmented reality (AR) interface for spatial surface-level tracking on a canine head hologram. Researchers developed an AR application using Unity, compatible with XREAL glasses, enabling users to annotate and interact with a three-dimensional hologram of a dog's head. Two annotation types were tested—coordinate (distance) and outline (area)—under two conditions: transfer (viewing targets on a computer screen and replicating them on the hologram) and direct (viewing targets overlaid directly onto the hologram via AR). Results demonstrated that AR-guided direct visualization significantly reduced mean distance error compared to transfer conditions (2.73 mm vs. 3.42 mm) and improved accurate area coverage (83.7% vs. 63.3%). Coordinate task completion was faster with direct AR guidance (8.19 vs. 11.2 seconds), while area tracing times were comparable between groups. These findings confirm that AR visualization enhances spatial accuracy for both distance and area metrics without compromising procedural speed. The technology shows promise for clinical applications, including overlaying diagnostic imaging onto the surgical plane to guide procedures on the canine head. Future research will focus on translating these laboratory findings into clinical settings and expanding applications to include integration of CT or MRI data directly into the surgical field, potentially improving precision in veterinary surgical and dental procedures.

This summary was distilled by AI and may occasionally misinterpret data. Confirm critical details with the primary literature before clinical application.