14 June 2013

Treating Trauma with VR

The University of Southern California's Institute for Creative Technologies is leading the way in creating virtual humans. The result may produce real help for those in need. The virtual therapist sits in a big armchair, shuffling slightly and blinking naturally, apparently waiting for me to get comfortable in front of the screen. The software allows a doctor to follow a patient's progress over time. It objectively and scientifically compares sessions.

 
The centre does a lot of work with the US military, which after long wars in Iraq and Afghanistan has to deal with hundreds of thousands of troops and veterans suffering from various levels of post-traumatic stress disorder. The whole lab is running experiments with virtual humans by blending a range of technologies such as movement sensing and facial recognition. In the lab's demonstration space a virtual soldier sits behind a desk and responds to a disciplinary scenario as part of officer training.

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