Bernd Fischer Award 2016

  • Fortmeier, Dirk (Award Recipient)

Prize: Awards of the University of Luebeck

General Description

The Bernd Fischer Award 2016 for an outstanding PhD thesis in the Departments of Computer Science or Natural Sciences is awarded to Dr.-Ing. Dirk Fortmeier for his dissertation on "Direct Volume Rendering Methods for Needle Insertion Simulation” at the Institute of Medical Informatics, supervised by Prof. Dr. H.-H. Handels.

Dirk Fortmeier, born 1986 in Braunschweig, Germany, studied Computer Science (B.Sc.) and Computer Games Programming (M.Sc.) at Teesside University (Middlesbrough, UK). From 2011 to 2015, he completed his PhD at the Graduate School and Institute of Medical Informatics at the University of Lübeck. In his dissertation, which was also supervised at the University Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine in Lübeck, he developed innovative methods for visuo-haptic planning and training of puncture procedures in virtual patient bodies. This includes computer-aided 3D stereo imaging of patient anatomy in real time - based on spatial image data from computed tomography - as well as control of the puncture needle and its interaction with the virtual patient body. The use of haptic devices also allows the user to feel the patient anatomy. When the puncture needle is inserted into the body, the user feels realistic forces and resistances just like in a real puncture.

A particular highlight of the dissertation is that Dr. Fortmeier succeeded in haptically and visually simulating deformations of the soft tissues by the needle as well as realistic breathing movements of the patient during the puncture in real time. For this purpose, he successfully combined methods of medical image processing and virtual reality simulation and developed important methodological extensions in this interdisciplinary research area. The work has resulted in an operational simulator prototype that can be used for various puncture procedures and has already been used in initial studies. Dr. Fortmeier's work is being continued in an ongoing DFG research project led by Prof. Handels. He himself has been working in the field of visualization and human-machine interaction at the company Robert Bosch Car Multimedia GmbH since May 2015.

The Bernd Fischer Award has been awarded since 2016 and commemorates the mathematician Prof. Dr. Bernd Fischer (1957 - 2013). As the Head of the Institute of Mathematics and Image Computing and Luebeck`s Fraunhofer Project Group on Image Registration (MEVIS) Professor Fischer played a major role in establishing the field of computer science at the university. He was extremely committed and popular among his colleagues and his students for his excellent teaching, his extraordinary research and his work on behalf of the university.
The award is endowed with 2,500 euros and is awarded annually by the Association of Alumni and Friends of the University of Luebeck.
Degree of recognitionLocal
Granting OrganisationsVerein der Alumni, Freunde und Förderer der Universität zu Lübeck e. V.

Awarded at event

Event titleUniversity Awards 2016
LocationRathaus der Hansestatdt Lübeck, Lübeck, GermanyShow on map
Period10.11.2016

Research Area or Academic Center

  • Centers: Center for Artificial Intelligence Luebeck (ZKIL)

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