Virtual Reality Therapy

A couple days ago, one AR&VR friend talked with me online about the use of augmented reality as well as virtual reality. Sure in many aspects of our world they are able to be used. What we mainly discussed is in medical aspects. We both kown the AR technique is widely used in Surgical Navigation Systems which is truly grandios. But except it anything practical else? Well, suddenly I remembered a video clip I saw in Youtube about the Virtual Reality therapy for the injured soldiers who suffered a lot from the war. He was partly burn during the attack and suffered from the burn pain. So the doctors and researchers designed and generated a funny game about shooting penguin in a snow-covered environment. Certainly as a VR-application the patient will require a HMD as the view device and a joystick,too, as a interaction controller. It is said the white snow view and "cold" wind sound as well as the game fun can reduce the pain dramatically.

So I searched out the video and found its scientifical name -- "Virtual Reality Therapy" (VRT). And of course in wiki there is a detailed description(here). Simply to say it is a kind of psychotherapy with virtual reality technique. The patients have some fears of something, e.g. acrophobia. And the solution is absolutely let them confront this situation and gain the self-confidence. However they won't. Therefore a simulated case is generated as real as possible, and the patients konw that ok, this is the hell but I'm not dead. So they have the chance to face what they scare. According to the report the success rate of this therapy is 90%. Amazing!

In my opinion this therapy has its own advantages, like you don't really have to talk to your doctor during the therapy and you don't have to take pains to generate any illusion to pass the doctors' words. And it's more intuitive, cooler and more fancy. But the animation plays an important role. A nice, natural and not overacted animation can truly makes a peaceful immersion. But I'm afraid the opposite example could deteriorate the sickness. :p I know little knowledge about psychotherapy, but I believe the power of VR for it!

I dug three videos of VRT in Youtube, two of which are about the such therapy for the military applications:

Posted in: Videos,Virtual Reality