Inspiration
EMDR-Backyard is an immersive VR experience designed to help individuals process traumatic memories and reduce stress using bilateral stimulation (BLS), a technique inspired by Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy. EMDR is a proven method that helps people work through distressing experiences using guided eye movements. However, traditional EMDR relies on a therapist’s manual input, which can sometimes make it less accessible and difficult, especially for individuals who struggle to visualize or stimulate their own environment. We believe that VR can enhance EMDR therapy by making it more interactive, immersive, and accessible. Our virtual environment provides a structured, visually guided, and calming space, allowing users to engage in this exercise in a way that feels natural and supportive
What it does
Our project places users inside a calming traditional Japanese tatami room overlooking a garden, the users will sit and be guided by a butterfly to start the eye movement phase of the treatment. User can follow the butterfly with their eyes as it moves from left to right and at the end of the sequence, the butterfly exits and the user can close their eyes, take a deep breath and reflect. The cycle helps the brain process emotions reduce stress, and restore a sense of balance
How we built it
Besides the pillow, tea set, and bookshelf modeled in Blender, we incorporated free 3D models and soundtrack from online sources, imported them into Unity, and added animations and lighting
Challenges we ran into
Technical Barriers. Our team had little to no prior experience with 3D, Unity, or VR, which pushed us out of our comfort zones. We had to rely on online resources and support from XR staff to navigate these tools. As beginners, the learning curve was steep and time constraints became a major challenge since we had to learn and implement simultaneously
Accomplishments that we're proud of
Learning everything from scratch! The whole experience was an accomplishment for us as we came in with nothing and gained so much knowledge in just 2 days
What we learned
We gained hands on experience with Unity and VR, compiling 3D models, animating within Unity, incorporating elements such as lighting and sound, and lastly, meeting new people and having fun!
What's next for VR EMDR Backyard
We are hoping to implement pop up messages to guide users through each steps of the experience. Additionally, we plan to develop a control panel that allows users to adjust key settings such as the speed of the moving object, sound levels, lighting, and movement duration. We also want to create different environments to cater to different user preferences, making the experience more personalized and engaging
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