Live Beyond Fear: A Virtual Reality Serious Game Platform to Overcome Phobias

Abstract

The thesis focuses in development of a Virtual Reality based Serious Game platform for overcoming phobia, with special focus on acrophobia i.e., fear of heights. Levels of acrophobic scenarios with gradual exposure to heights is developed. The prototype includes game elements such as motivation, target and set of goals to be achieved. The serious game platform reduces the level of fear by encouraging the individual to use it again since they are challenging and attractive. The degree of fear of heights in people is evaluated using questionnaire and since it showed a significant number of people experience acrophobia, this platform may be used in treatment to overcome the same. Future studies should include the deployment of serious game platform on patients with acrophobia to measure the effectiveness of this system.