Immersed in stress relief

University of Reading scientists are bringing to life a ‘virtual Iraq’ to aid traumatised soldiers and military staff recover once they return from duty.

The virtual Iraq simulation, developed at the University of Southern California (USC) but now being put into practice at Reading, is fully-immersive and designed as part of an exposure therapy programme which allows soldiers suffering post-traumatic stress disorder to relive and confront psychological trauma – and it has produced promising results for the first handful of patients treated.

Professor Paul Sharkey, a Director of the University of Reading’s Visualisation Centre has been working with Professors Albert “Skip” Rizzo and Jarrell Pair from the USC Institute for Creative Technologies to port the software – which recreates the sights, smells, sounds and jolts of the battlefield – from USC’s headset-delivered application to one which can be delivered via a fully immersive 3mtr Å~ 3mtr virtual room (called the ReaCToR) at Reading’s Visualisation Centre.