Inspiration
As a team participating in an ImmerseGT 2023 event, we knew that we wanted to create something that could make a real difference in people's lives. We wanted to develop a product that would address a common problem that many people face but often struggle to find solutions for.
For me personally, this project was inspired by my own struggles with mental health. As a first-generation immigrant, English was not my first language, and I always felt like I needed to work harder than everyone else just to keep up. Over time, this created unnecessary pressure on my shoulders and affected my mental health.
I realized that I was not alone in facing these challenges. Many people struggle to prioritize their mental health, especially in high-pressure environments. That's why we decided to focus on mental health and develop a product that could make therapy more accessible and effective for everyone.
Over the course of the hackathon, we worked tirelessly to develop a prototype for our product - MetaTherapy. Our innovative virtual reality counseling service utilizes real-time emotion detection and analysis to provide a more immersive and effective counseling experience. Our platform breaks down cultural and language barriers, making therapy more accessible for everyone, especially those in underserved areas.
With the potential to serve people suffering from mental health challenges such as anxiety and depression, MetaTherapy has the potential to be a game-changer in the field of therapy and mental illness awareness. And we're proud to say that we've just finished the prototype during this demo.
We believe that our product has the potential to make a real difference in people's lives, and we're excited to continue developing it further. As we move forward, we're committed to making therapy more accessible and effective for everyone.
What it does
MetaTherapy is an innovative VR psychological counseling service that utilizes real-time emotion detection and analysis to provide a more immersive and effective counseling experience. Unlike other online counseling services, MetaTherapy fully utilizes the metaverse to break down cultural and language barriers, providing a safer and more comfortable environment for clients to share their experiences. With the potential to serve military personnel stationed abroad, people suffering from PTSD in underserved areas, and those who prefer to speak their native language, MetaTherapy has the potential to be a game-changer in the field of therapy and mental illness awareness. With cutting-edge technology, MetaTherapy aims to increase product stability, accuracy, and customer experience, making therapy more accessible and effective for everyone.
How we built it
Our team of four consisted of three PhD students in ECE and CS and one MBA student. We utilized the agile scrum methodology to develop MetaTherapy during the 36-hour hackathon. Each sprint was separated into six-hour blocks to ensure that we made progress and stayed on track.
We chose Unity as our IDE and Oculus 2 as our testing devices. To start, we spent two hours walking through the user journey from both the client and therapist perspectives to better understand the components that needed to be built.
Throughout the development cycle, we scheduled short syncs every six hours to treat them as sprint retrospectives. This helped us to better understand what steps we needed to take next and to iterate on the product as needed.
Our team worked tirelessly to develop a prototype for MetaTherapy that was innovative, effective, and accessible. We're proud of what we accomplished during the hackathon and are excited to continue refining and developing MetaTherapy in the future.
Challenges we ran into
One of the biggest challenges we faced during the development of MetaTherapy was the steep learning curve associated with working with Unity and developing for VR headsets. Prior to the hackathon, our team had close to zero knowledge about Unity and how to develop a VR headset from a software perspective.
However, after building one or two objects, we began to gain more confidence and understanding of the platform. We overcame this challenge by working closely together as a team and utilizing online resources and tutorials to expand our knowledge.
Overall, we found that the learning curve associated with developing for Unity and VR headsets was challenging, but not insurmountable. By working together and staying determined, we were able to overcome this challenge and create an innovative and effective prototype for MetaTherapy.
Accomplishments that we're proud of
Despite having close to zero knowledge about Unity and VR headset software development, our team was able to successfully develop a prototype for MetaTherapy during the 36-hour hackathon. Using the agile scrum methodology and short syncs, we efficiently managed our development process and utilized Unity as our IDE and Oculus 2 as our testing devices.
One of our key accomplishments was walking through the user journey from both the client and therapist perspectives to better understand the components needed to build MetaTherapy. We were able to collaborate with therapists and mental health experts to ensure that our platform is effective and accurate.
Our team's diverse academic backgrounds also contributed to our success. Three PhD students in ECE and CS and one MBA student worked together to create a product that has the potential to make therapy more accessible and effective for everyone. By incorporating the latest advancements in virtual reality and bio-signal technology, we hope to redefine the game in the field of therapy and mental illness awareness.
Overall, we're proud of what we accomplished during the hackathon and are excited to continue refining and developing MetaTherapy in the future.
What we learned
Through the development of MetaTherapy, our team learned the value of collaboration and the importance of perseverance. Despite facing challenges related to the steep learning curve associated with Unity and VR headset software development, we were able to work together as a team and utilize online resources and tutorials to expand our knowledge and overcome these challenges.
We also learned about the potential for virtual reality to redefine the game in the field of therapy and mental illness awareness. By incorporating real-time emotion detection and analysis, we believe that MetaTherapy has the potential to make therapy more effective and accessible for everyone.
What's next for MetaTherapy
We're excited to share that our future plans for MetaTherapy include incorporating an AI-powered platform and cutting-edge bio-signal devices. These technologies will offer real-time emotion analysis and empower therapists to provide more effective treatment.
Our team is currently in the process of conducting extensive research and development to ensure that our platform and devices are cutting-edge and incorporate the latest advancements in virtual reality and bio-signal technology. We're working closely with therapists and mental health experts to ensure that our technology is effective and accurate.
Overall, our goal with MetaTherapy is to redefine the game in the field of therapy and mental illness awareness, making it more accessible and effective for everyone. We're committed to developing and refining our technology to better serve those in need, and we're excited to continue pushing the boundaries of what's possible in mental health care.
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