Wearable sensors as feedback method in virtual reality anti-stress therapy

Abstract

The authors concept is based on the idea that mental health therapies which are already performed in the virtual reality, can be enhanced using wearable devices measuring body reactions, adding a completely new set of data for the therapeutic software. Those data, like heart rate or galvanic skin response, will be used in the feedback loop, for modifying VR projection or in therapy results assessment. Another goal is to use such additional feedback in psychological training in healthy patients, trying to improve their own behaviors and reactions, for example in stress coping situations. In the paper there is a description of a virtual reality-based anti-stress therapy concept using the wearable device feedback loop. The example is based on horticultural therapy, and was developed using Oculus Rift and Microsoft Band devices as virtual reality headset and physiological data source, respectively.