Acupuncture is a widely adopted medical practice that involves inserting thin needles into specific points on the body to alleviate pain and treat various health conditions. Current learning practices heavily rely on 2D atlases and practice on peers, which are notably less intuitive and pose risks, particularly in sensitive areas such as the eyes. To address these challenges, we introduce AcuVR, a Virtual Reality (VR) based system designed to add a layer of interactivity and realism. This innovation aims to reduce the risks associated with practicing acupuncture techniques while offering more effective learning strategies. Furthermore, AcuVR incorporates medical imaging and standardized anatomy models, enabling the simulation of customized acupuncture scenarios. This feature represents a significant advancement beyond the limitations of conventional resources such as atlases and textbooks, facilitating a more immersive and personalized learning experience. The evaluation study with eight acupuncture students and practitioners revealed high participant satisfaction and pointed to the effectiveness and potential of AcuVR as a valuable addition to acupuncture training.

翻译：针灸是一种广泛应用的医疗实践，通过将细针刺入人体特定穴位以缓解疼痛并治疗多种健康问题。当前的学习方法主要依赖二维图谱和在同伴身上练习，这种方式直观性明显不足且存在风险，在眼部等敏感区域尤为突出。为应对这些挑战，我们提出了AcuVR——一个基于虚拟现实（VR）的系统，旨在增加交互性与真实感。这项创新致力于降低针灸技法练习风险，同时提供更高效的学习策略。此外，AcuVR整合了医学影像与标准化解剖模型，能够模拟定制化的针灸场景。该功能标志着对图谱、教科书等传统资源局限性的重要突破，有助于实现更具沉浸感与个性化的学习体验。通过对八名针灸学员与从业者的评估研究，参与者表现出高度满意度，结果证明了AcuVR作为针灸训练补充工具的有效性与应用潜力。