These sensory hairs and other structures in the inner ear comprise a complex hydromechanical system that contributes to the sensitivity of the ear and performs important signal-processing functions. These methods have shown for the first time how the microscopic hairs in the inner ear move in relation to its other structures and promises a better understanding of the inner ear s mechanical processes. These systems promise to revolutionize the design of sensors and actuators, in much the same way that microfabrication has revolutionized electronic design. Several projects in this area involve the development of inexpensive and reliable tools for in situ visualization of the motions of internal MEMS structures. Although MEMS are fabricated by batch techniques, which are similar to the techniques used to fabricate microelectronic devices, there are no simple methods to test and characterize the internal failure modes of micromechanical devices.
Stroboscopic illumination is used to take temporal sequences of images at multiple planes of focus.
Recorded images are then viewed at playback speeds chosen to facilitate human interpretation of the motions. Quantitative estimates of the motions are also obtained directly from the recorded images using algorithms originally designed for robot vision. This new system, called interferometric computer microvision, provides information for full three-dimensional motion estimation. Their research in multimodal virtual reality is contributing to the development of a surgical simulator for minimally invasive procedures in collaboration with Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School . This rapidly emerging field is concerned with the scientific as well as the technological aspects of manual exploration and manipulation in the real and virtual worlds.