Design and Implementation of a Virtual Reality System for Treating Highway Phobias: VRStreet

Abstract

To feel fear in a specific situation is a normal human experience, however, when this fear or aversion becomes excessive and disrupts the day to day life of an individual, it is said the person suffers from a type of anxiety disorder called phobia. One common type of treatment for phobias is exposure therapy (professionals expose the patient gradually to the feared object or situation).The objective of this paper is to implement a Virtual Reality system that simulates a real highway environment which allows to treat patients affected by highway phobias in a safe place.In cooperation with psychologists and psychiatrists, an action protocol was conducted to create and recreate the variables of the virtual environment to which the patient will be subjected to. Once this was completed, a Virtual Reality application was made that simulates a realistic highway which includes exits, overpasses, underpasses, and tunnels, among others.This hardware/software system will include Oculus Rift DK2 VR glasses in order to create an immersive environment that the patient can consider real and who will be able to interact with it. The performance of the vehicle was programmed through physical responses similar to reality as well as techniques of artificial intelligence in the vehicles that will interact with the one controlled by the patient. Also, this system includes a steering wheel, pedals, and a gearshift (manual or automatic).We think that this system will contribute to treating highway phobias, allowing the psychiatrist or psychologist to carry out therapy in an appropriate manner and through the support of technology the professional will have the ability to simulate the anxiogenic environment in a realistic manner so as to achieve effective treatment. In a future work, we must quantify the possible benefits of this type of VR system in phobia patients.