A fear of heights is very common and is defined as an irrational fear of heights to the extent that it causes the affected person to avoid situations which involve heights, e.g. an office on the top floor of a building. This is similar to other phobias in that it causes an anxiety reaction or … Continue reading Virtual reality and acrophobia (fear of heights)
The fear of enclosed spaces or ‘claustrophobia’ is one of the more common types of phobias which are treated by therapies such as hypnotherapy and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). But new forms of technology such as virtual reality have been utilised as a means of treating phobias such as these and are proving to be … Continue reading Virtual reality and claustrophobia (fear of enclosed spaces)
Social phobia is defined as a fear of social situations, for example public speaking, where the sufferer imagines that they will embarrass themselves or commit some type of social faux pas. They dread talking in front of others for fear of looking foolish or saying the wrong thing and worry about how they are viewed … Continue reading Virtual reality and social phobia
Many people are scared of flying but are able to cope with it and carry on their normal, day to day lives. It does not prevent them from getting onto a plane and is seen as a minor inconvenience. But there are other groups of people who have an extreme fear of flying to the … Continue reading Virtual reality and erophobia (fear of flying)
We have talked about today’s virtual reality games but what about those yet to appear? There are games currently in the pipeline which promise new ways of using virtual reality to push the boundaries between the player and the environment. There are two areas for discussion which are: Upcoming virtual reality games What to expect … Continue reading Virtual reality games of the future
Virtual worlds are three dimensional environments in which you can interact with others and create objects as part of that interaction. How do you do that? You appear as an avatar in the virtual world: an avatar is a virtual representation of you (a ‘virtual ego’) which can take on any shape or form as … Continue reading What are virtual worlds?
Virtual reality gaming is where a person can experience being in a three-dimensional environment and interact with that environment during a game. This is an essential part of the game. Bio-sensing ne way of detecting a person’s presence in a game is bio-sensing. These are small sensors which are attached to a data glove, suit … Continue reading What is virtual reality gaming?
Virtual reality is used to treat phobias and other psychological conditions such as post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It can be used alongside traditional therapies or on its own and has helped thousands of people to overcome their fear or an addiction. What do we mean by virtual reality therapies? This refers to a range … Continue reading Virtual reality therapies
Virtual reality games are becoming very popular with many teenagers who love the graphics, animations and best of all, being able to talk to others. After all, what could be better than the chance to interact with top end technology and without any adults to get in the way? These games are available for Xbox … Continue reading Virtual Reality Games
Surgery simulation is another branch of medicine where virtual reality is used to great effect. This technology is used to train surgeons in a range of surgical procedures, e.g. knee arthroscopy but without any risks. The trainee surgeon can be taught new and potentially dangerous techniques in an environment where they are able to make … Continue reading Surgery simulation
