VR Phobia Assassinator

Project Summary: VR Phobia Assassinator (VRPA) is a virtual reality based assisting software for psychologists to cure phobia as virtual reality is an effective way of treatment of phobias. [1] It will be a virtual reality based exposure therapy that will make patients able

Project Title

VR Phobia Assassinator

Project Area of Specialization

Augmented and Virtual Reality

Project Summary

Project Summary:

VR Phobia Assassinator (VRPA) is a virtual reality based assisting software for psychologists to cure phobia as virtual reality is an effective way of treatment of phobias. [1] It will be a virtual reality based exposure therapy that will make patients able to overcome their phobia. It would mainly be focused on the treatment of speci?c phobias in which treatment of each phobia will be covered in proceeding levels (6 to 8 levels of each phobia). We have visited registered psychologists and hospitals in Karachi and developing the exposure treatment environments under their guidance. Despite of its proved bene?ts, this technology has not been deployed by any psychologist in Pakistan, (mainly in Karachi). VRPA will be a cost e?ective and smart solution for therapists.

Problem Statement:

WHO studies showed that about 3.6 percent of the world’s population (264 million) is su?ering from anxiety disorders. [2]

The most common psychiatric disorders includes phobias in which a phobic subject may experience an excessive fear or distressing emotions caused by something or some situation. [3, 4] Having an exaggerated fear of some specific trigger is called specific phobia. [5]

According to a study conducted in Karachi, Pakistan in November-December 2014, 79% of the respondents who participated in the survey had phobia and out of which 46% people are suffering from specific phobias. [6]

Treatments:

Suggested Solution:

It has proceeding exposure environments for therapy that will help more effective and convenient treatment. It is a cost effective and smart solution for therapists.

Features:

Our product’s features includes the following;

• Realistic Virtual Environment: 3D virtual environment with realistic textures.
• Real-time Hand Tracking: Real time hand interaction with virtual objects in virtual environment.
• Smart Sensor: AI based heart rate sensing during exposure therapy session.
• Intelligent Report Generation:  Artificial Intelligence based report generation of every treatment session.

Our Research Survey:

This survey was conducted in August 2018 to September 2018. A total of 258 respondents participated in this survey including general population of di?erent age groups which includes 158 males (61.2 percent) and 100 females (38.8 percent). This survey was intended to ?nd out ratio of di?erent types of specific phobias found in the Pakistani society, especially in Karachi in order to decide that the treatment of which specific phobias to be targeted and developed for VRPA.

References:

[1] Virtual reality exposure therapy for anxiety and related disorders: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

[2] Depression and Other Common Mental Disorders Global Health Estimates (WHO)

[7] Psychological approaches in the treatment of specific phobias: A meta-analysis

Project Objectives

Project Objectives:

1. Advancement in Treatment Process:

The main objective of VRPA is to modernize the therapeutic process of psychological treatment of phobia patients in order to improve the traditional treatment methodology with advanced virtual reality software to overcome their phobia with ease and comfort in a psychologist office.

1. Smart VR Solution for Psychologists:

To provide psychologists a smart treatment solution in the form of a computer-generated 3D environment. Sensory information will be delivered through a head mounted display, i.e. HTC Vive, leap motion and pulse rate sensor. These devices will track head movements and heart rate of the patient along with real time hand tracking, so the patient will experience a realistic exposure to the virtual world in the presence of the therapist and is a convenient and cost-e?ective treatment.

1. To create User Friendly 3D Environment:

One of the main objectives is to create user friendly 3D environment in which patient feel safe and relax during the therapy. The software will be simple to install and work efficiently and intuitively. It will be easily navigable and troubleshoot the problems.

1. To provide gradual immersive Virtual Environment for fear exposure:

Therapy is done through gradual exposures created by the guidance of the therapists. More effective sounds and graphics are used in this software which provides the feel of realism. Through gradual exposures to feared stimulus, patient will be able to minimize their phobia in an effective way. Patient will be able to repeat the exposure levels according to the intensity of their phobia and psychologist guidance.

1. To create a useful and effective treatment software for phobia patients:

Another objective of VRPA is to create a useful and effective treatment software for phobia patients. This software will help to minimize the phobia ratio through Virtual based 3D environment with realistic graphics and textures with effective 3D audios which increases the feel of realism and patient will be able to fight against their phobias in a more realistic environment with safety and control.

1. Cost effective psychological treatment of phobias:

VRPA will be able to provide cost effective psychological treatment of phobias in an effective and safe environment. VR therapy is cost effective as it will be done in one place as compared to other traditional therapies which takes much time as patient has to move to the different places and pay again and again for different sessions which will take much time and the results will not be more effective as it will be in the VR therapy.

1. To create a smart report generation module to assist psychotherapist:

VRPA will be able to generate a smart report to assist psychotherapist by using the real time data that is being stored in database during exposure therapy at the end of therapy session. This report will help the therapist to evaluate the patient’s current level of phobia.   

Project Implementation Method

Project Implementation:

Hardware:

Hardware that is used in our project includes following;

• HTC Vive

HTC Vive is used to provide user with realistic exposure.

• Leap Motion

For real-time hand tracking, we have used leap motion which will make user able to interact with virtual objects in virtual environment with their own hands.

• Pulse rate sensor

This sensor is used for taking real-time pulse readings so that patient’s panic could be measured.

Software:

Software tools that are used in this project are;

1. Blender: For creating 3D models
2. Unity: For creating 3D virtual environment
3. Adobe Photoshop: For creating and editing images as well as textures
4. Arduino IDE: For coding pulse rate sensor
5. Adobe Dreamweaver: To create project website
6. Microsoft Visual Studio: For coding and proving features to virtual reality environment.
7. Microsoft Word: For creating documentation of the project
8. Microsoft Visio: For creating project visual models
9. Adobe Illustrator: For creating logo and design icons

Facility:

Facility that is needed for the project implementation includes physical clear space of at least 1.5x2 meter and maximum distance between base stations in 5 meters. This space mainly requires because during exposure, subject moves back and forth as immersive 3D exposure requires real-time movement.

Designing:

Designing phase includes research, creating design plan, search environmental objects that best suits to the therapeutic treatment environment, Paper prototyping, 3D modeling, rendering 3D models, Photoshop editing and texturing the 3D models to provide them a realistic look.

Development Phase:

• Virtual Environment Creation:

Virtual environment is created using the 3D models that we created in blender. Every phobia will have proceeding levels (6 to 8 levels) having minimum to extreme level of exposure to feared stimulus.

• Report Generation Module Creation:

Report generated module is created having patient’s personal data with patient history form along with patient progress report.

• Pulse Rate Sensor Implementation:

Pulse rate sensor is coded using Arduino IDE and will be used during exposure time to observe real-time patient’s pulse rate.

Deployment:

Deployment of entire software with hardware and sensors and its calibration with acoustic conditions will be done in this phase.

Before deploying we will conduct clinical trials of our project for verifying its validity whether it will produce results as per our expectations or not under the supervision of experienced psychologists.

Explanation:

• Patient will wear HTC Vive and therapist will manage VRPA software (Software contains levels of exposure therapy according to phobia intensity – min to max)
• Data from VRPA Software and pulse rate sensor during exposure therapy will be stored in database and then generate report at end of each therapy.
• Therapist can sign up and login website to access patient’s reports from database any time.

Benefits of the Project

Benefits of the Project (VR Phobia Assassinator - VRPA):

The benefits of our project of treatment through Virtual Reality are:

• Safety and Effectiveness:

Virtual Reality Therapy through VRPA for Phobia patients is very effective and safe. In a 3D virtual environment, patients will feel safe and try to overcome their phobia through repeating the therapy process again and again with control and safety measures along with the psychologist guidance.

• Real-time pulse rate observations:

With the help of VRPA, therapists will be able to observe patient’s real-time pulse rate in order to keep a check on anxiety level of the patient during the conduction of exposure therapy session.

• Smart report generation of each therapy session:

Smart report is generated at the end to each therapy session by using the real-time data that is being stored in database during exposure session and will then be utilized by therapist to evaluate the treatment progress and patient’s anxiety level reduction as compared to previous session.

• Website Integration with Software:

Therapist will be able to access the patient’s data anywhere at any time by signing up and logging in VRPA website.

• Realistic Virtual Experience:

Through realistic computer graphics, it will be easy for the patients to feel the realism and a sense of presence in a virtual environment and patients feel more comfortable and relax in the treatment therapy.

• Treatment with Efficacy:

VRPA therapy which is a virtual reality exposure therapy is more efficient and useful for the treatment as it gives confidence to the patient to deal with their phobia in a more relax and comfortable way with complete privacy.

• Minimum to Maximum Realistic Exposure Experience:

The levels are created from lower to a higher level for the gradual exposure to the phobic stimulus for the patients along with real textures and graphics along with acoustic immersion to make the environment more realistic and natural.

• Easiness In Conduction of Therapy Sessions:

The exposure is conducted in a psychologist’s room and in this way, there is no need to move to other places for the real exposures like in the in vivo therapy, which is more costly and takes time.

• Privacy is Priority:

The patient does not have to face any embarrassment or uneasiness by physically going to the original place and getting upset in front of the people or feel anxiety in the real scenario.

• Reduction in Risk Factors:

It is much safer than the real-life therapy and due to which the risk factor involved is minimizes.

• Building Up Patient’s Confidence:

With VRPA, the patient recognizes these thoughts of fear then it is easy for them to turn these stressful thoughts into positive ones and build their confidence to overcome their phobia.

• User Manual For Guidance:

We will provide a user manual at the deployment time which will contain all the relevant guidance for how to use VRPA and handle VRPA Controller Software and its modules.

Technical Details of Final Deliverable

Technical Details of Final Deliverables:

The final deliverable of our project VR Phobia Assassinator is the software product that will assist psychologists for curing phobia patients. The software will have following modules.

1. Registration:

With the help of registration module, therapist will be able to register complete details of the patient before therapy will begin. These details will help therapist to know about patient’s background from almost every aspect.

Registration module is further divided into following sub-modules so that every relevant information will be taken without missing any value.

1. 1. Basic information

This sub-module will contain patient’s basic biodata and generate patient’s id. (Primary key) This id will further used for referring patient’s details.

1. 1. Emergency contact

This sub-module takes information about patient’s emergency contact person.

1. 1. Patient social history

This sub-module take information about patient’s social history.

1. 1. Family history

Family history sub-module will store the details regarding patient’s parents.

1. 1. Medical history

This sub-module take information about patient’s medical background.

1. 1. Educational back ground

Educational background will help therapist regarding information about patient’s education time.

1. 1. Addiction (drugs intake etc.)

This module take information about any addiction of drugs, pills or tobacco intake by patient.

1. History:

In this module, therapist will be able to view patient’s history that is stored in the database (MySQL) at the time of registration and previous therapy sessions by inserting patient’s id.

* Patient’s id is primary key to call every data about any patient.

1. level Manager:

• This module contain all the executable files of exposure therapy of phobia.

• Acrophobia -- > Levels -- > Level 1 -- >Level 2 -- > Level 3 -- > Level 4 -- > Level 5 -- > Level 6 -- > Level 7 -- > Level 8
• Aquaphobia -- > Levels -- > Level 1 -- >Level 2 -- > Level 3 -- > Level 4 -- > Level 5 -- > Level 6 -- > Level 7 -- > Level 8
• Haemophobia -- > Levels -- > Level 1 -- >Level 2 -- > Level 3 -- > Level 4 -- > Level 5 -- > Level 6 -- > Level 7 -- > Level 8

1. Report:

Report generation module will generate an artificial intelligence based report which contain information taken through virtual environment, pulse rate sensor, leap motion and patient’s registration information on just a single click.

1. Panic graph

Our software will be able to measure panic of the patient during the conduction of therapy session by measuring patient’s head movement and pulse rate during the time span of therapy conduction and generate graphical representation of patient’s panic.

1. Total time

Total time take by every therapy session along with time duration of every level of phobia exposure will be stored in database that can be seen by therapist anytime by inserting patient’s id.

Final Deliverable of the Project

Software System

Type of Industry

IT , Medical , Others , Health

Technologies

Artificial Intelligence(AI), Augmented & Virtual Reality

Sustainable Development Goals

Good Health and Well-Being for People, Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

Required Resources

If you need this project, please contact me on contact@adikhanofficial.com