Lou Genoud, Hetarth Bhatt, Haoyu Cui, Zihan Wang, Valerie Aghoghovbia, Joshua Brown
EuroHaptics 2026 (2026)
Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed malignancy amongst women worldwide, accounting for approximately 670,000 deaths in 2022. While physical examination is a vital tool for early detection, effective training remains a challenge. This work demonstrates a dynamic softness-changing tactile display capable of rendering lumps in variable locations to support manual breast examination training. The system uses particle jamming and load-based tactile sensing to create differential stiffness across a monolithic display, while resistive heat pads provide thermal indications of infection. A 3D visualisation adds clinical context. We evaluated the system with 14 doctors and medical students. Participants correctly identified lump locations in 66% of cases and elevated temperatures in 88% of cases. Notably, qualified doctors demonstrated 22% higher accuracy than novices. These results validate the system’s ability to distinguish expert from novice performance, suggesting it is a viable tool for objective clinical skills assessment and training.