Holoview: An Immersive Mixed-Reality Visualization System for Anatomical Education

TL;DR

Holoview is an AR system that enables immersive, interactive anatomy learning using hand gestures in a 3D environment, significantly improving educational outcomes and user engagement.

Contribution

This paper introduces Holoview, a novel AR-based anatomy visualization system with real-time interaction and optimized performance for enhanced educational experiences.

Findings

135% improvement in anatomical knowledge

High user engagement and confidence

Low cognitive load during exploration

Abstract

We present Holoview, an augmented reality (AR) system designed to support immersive and interactive learning of human anatomy. Holoview enables users to dynamically explore volumetric anatomical data through intuitive hand gestures in a 3D AR environment, allowing inspection of individual organs and cross-sectional views via clipping and bioscope features. The system adopts a lightweight client-server architecture optimized for real-time performance on the HoloLens through hybrid and foveated rendering. Our user study demonstrated Holoview's educational effectiveness, with participants showing a 135 percent improvement in task-specific knowledge and reporting increased confidence in understanding anatomical structures. The system was perceived as engaging and intuitive, particularly for organ selection and cross-sectional exploration, with low cognitive load and increasing ease of use over time. These findings highlight Holoview's potential to enhance anatomy learning through immersive, user-centered AR experiences.