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VR Product Design

2019

Emotional Ripple - Meditation

About

An immersive VR gaming experience to relieve anxiety by self-therapy and guided meditation

Role

Initial Research

Occasional anxiety is an expected part of life. But anxiety disorders involve more than temporary worry or fear. For a person with an anxiety disorder, the anxiety does not go away and can get worse over time. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 1 in 13 globally suffers from anxiety. Anxiety disorders are the most common mental disorders worldwide.

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In the United States, 40 million adults over the age of 18 suffer from anxiety disorders each year, 18.1 percent of the population.

According to the National Comorbid Disease Survey, anxiety disorders affect 31.9 percent of American teens ages 13 to 18.

More than 20 percent of people with anxiety disorders are considered to have serious problems, more than 4 percent of the U.S. population.

How might we provide a handy and entertaining self-therapy for anxiety relief?

Ideation

There is an abundance of research to suggest that mindfulness practices can improve an individual’s mental health. This helps to explain why many evidence-based therapies for anxiety and depression utilize components of mindfulness.

By utilizing a VR device and simulating treading water in a natural environment, we try to make the players feel more relaxed and get away from the anxiety emotion. Combined with different senses of touch, sight and audio, the immersive meditation experience will be optimized.

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Mindful Observation

Meditation in a natural environment makes people feel more wakeful and alert and, at the same time, open, relaxed, and spacious. There's also a sense of deep calm that comes from fully embodying people's senses while in nature. 

Mindful Listening

As the intensity of the treading changes, different notes will be produced. Thus, by combining the sound of water flowing through the stream, and the sound produced by the player's own treading, the player will be brought into a balanced and harmonious status.

Mindful Awareness

Through the interaction between the soles of the feet and the water surface, the player will receive both visual and auditory feedback. This feedback reinforces the attention to the contact of the feet with the ground in walking meditation.

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Mindful Observation

Meditation in a natural environment makes people feel more wakeful and alert and, at the same time, open, relaxed, and spacious. There's also a sense of deep calm that comes from fully embodying people's senses while in nature. 

Mindful Listening

As the intensity of the treading changes, different notes will be produced. Thus, by combining the sound of water flowing through the stream, and the sound produced by the player's own treading, the player will be brought into a balanced and harmonious status.

Mindful Awareness

Through the interaction between the soles of the feet and the water surface, the player will receive both visual and auditory feedback. This feedback reinforces the attention to the contact of the feet with the ground in walking meditation.

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Mindful Observation

Meditation in a natural environment makes people feel more wakeful and alert and, at the same time, open, relaxed, and spacious. There's also a sense of deep calm that comes from fully embodying people's senses while in nature. 

Mindful Listening

As the intensity of the treading changes, different notes will be produced. Thus, by combining the sound of water flowing through the stream, and the sound produced by the player's own treading, the player will be brought into a balanced and harmonious status.

Mindful Awareness

Through the interaction between the soles of the feet and the water surface, the player will receive both visual and auditory feedback. This feedback reinforces the attention to the contact of the feet with the ground in walking meditation.

Storyboard

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3. Mike put on the VR headset, stepped on the pressure sensor, held the handle, and began to experience.

4. He tried to gently press down on the sensor.

1. Mike suffered from a long history of anxiety disorders.

2. He decided to try VR experience therapy to help relieve his anxiety.

5. He increased the height of the leg lift to increase the force.

6. He tried stepping on the sensor with more force.

Game Storyboard

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Game Design

Playtesting

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Playtester 1

I think it's fun, but it's better if there are more scenes, like in the grasslands

Playtester 2

The music gave me a good feeling and made me feel way more relaxed

Playtester 3

It's good but I hope that there can be more the intensity levels

Back to work