Development and evaluation of a virtual reality-system with integrated tracking of extremities under the aspect of Acrophobia

With the help of a Virtual Reality-System (VR system) an exposure therapy can be done comfortably within the usual treatment room of the psychologist. The presented Acrophobia Therapy with Virtual Reality (AcTiVity-System) is constructed to be such a treatment instrument. Due to the integration of an avatar and the use of the Oculus Rift it positively differs from common VR system. In an evaluation with 42 subjects the effect of the integrated avatar on the individual´s presence was explored. Therefore two groups were formed with 21 persons each. In the first group the subjects were lead through a virtual height scenario with the avatar, while the second group experienced the same scenario without this feature. Further, the suitability of the AcTiVity-System as a treatment system was investigated. T-Tests showed that the avatar´s influence on the behavior of the participants was significant. To control the system the subject was given an input device but participants in the group with the avatar enabled tried subconsciously to control the system through physical interaction with their bodies. Furthermore the comparison with other VR systems showed that participants in our study with the AcTiVity-System scored significantly.