James C. Gwilliam

About

James C. Gwilliam is a leading researcher in haptics and tactile feedback for robot-assisted surgery, with a focus on improving surgical outcomes through enhanced sensory information. His key research areas include force feedback, tactile sensing, and sensory substitution for minimally invasive procedures. Gwilliam’s major contributions center on evaluating how haptic and graphical force feedback improve surgeon performance during teleoperated palpation, as demonstrated in his highly cited 2009 study (88 citations). He also pioneered comparative studies of human versus robotic tactile sensing for detecting lumps in soft tissue (85 citations), revealing critical insights for laparoscopic and robotic systems. Notably, Gwilliam developed and psychophysically assessed an innovative air-jet lump display for tactile feedback, addressing size and weight constraints in surgical tools (26 and 19 citations). His work on force feedback and sensory substitution (40 citations) has advanced the integration of tactile displays into clinical practice. With over 250 total citations, Gwilliam’s research bridges engineering and medicine, offering practical solutions for restoring tactile sensation in robot-assisted surgery and enhancing patient safety.

Research Focus

Key Achievements

Top Papers

1. 1
   Effects of haptic and graphical force feedback on teleoperated palpation

   88 citations · 2009
2. 2
   Human vs. robotic tactile sensing: Detecting lumps in soft tissue

   85 citations · 2010
3. 3
   Force Feedback and Sensory Substitution for Robot-Assisted Surgery

   40 citations · 2010
4. 4
   Characterization and Psychophysical Studies of an Air-Jet Lump Display

   26 citations · 2012
5. 5
   Design and control of an air-jet lump display

   19 citations · 2012

Key Collaborators

Contact & Links