Exploring an Extended Reality Floatation Tank Experience to Reduce the Fear of Being in Water

Title of the Paper

Exploring an Extended Reality Floatation Tank Experience to Reduce the Fear of Being in Water

Paper Information

• Subject Area: Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Water Environment Design, and Fear Therapy
• Keywords: Aquaphobia, Underwater Experience, Extended Reality, Floatation Tank, Immersive Virtual Reality, Exposure Therapy, Human Experience Design

Research Background and Problem

• Research Problem

  • Fear of water (Aquaphobia) is a common issue that prevents many individuals from enjoying water-related health activities and recreation, even causing a fear of drowning.
  • Existing exposure therapy provides tools to reduce fear, but virtual water environments lack the immersive sensation of real water, while real water environments may pose safety risks.

• Significance

  • Water activities offer extensive physical and mental health benefits, necessitating the development of safe tools to guide individuals into water environments, particularly for those with aquaphobia.
  • Combining Virtual Reality (VR) and Extended Reality (XR) technologies could significantly reduce water fear while incorporating entertainment.

• Motivation and Related Work

  • While prior HCI research has developed tools for treating specific fears, interactive systems targeting water fear remain scarce.
  • Evolving from existing water therapy and VR therapy, floatation tanks provide a safe water environment that can integrate entertainment elements and biofeedback to optimize the therapeutic experience.

Solution

• Proposed Method

  • The authors designed and validated an XR-based floatation tank system that combines a real water environment with water-related virtual content to optimize participant experiences.
  • The system includes interactive virtual environments, buoyancy experiences in water, and biofeedback such as heart rate variability (HRV).

• Innovations

  • The system combines the tactile sensation of real water with the visual and auditory effects of virtual water environments, overcoming the limitations of traditional therapies.
  • A series of progressive virtual environments is set up, transitioning from water surfaces to underwater and finally to non-water environments, gradually exposing participants to their fear triggers in a friendly manner.

• Implementation Steps and Technology

  1. Technical Components: VR headset (Meta Quest 2), heart rate sensor, floatation tank.
  2. Virtual Scene Design:
     • Initial calm sea surface to help participants acclimate to the water environment.
     • Underwater world to explore water sensations and breathing control.
     • Space-themed scene with virtual water ball interaction.
  3. Interaction Design:
     • Interactive content controlled through relaxed breathing and slow head movements.
     • Virtual environment changes, such as stopping rain, controlled by heart rate.

Research Outcomes

• Specific Results

  • Quantitative analysis showed a significant reduction in participants' anxiety levels when using the XR system, particularly in terms of reduced tension and worry.
  • Heart rate variability clearly reflected participants' gradual adaptation to the water environment.
  • Qualitative analysis revealed that participants commonly reported feelings of calmness, safety, and increased willingness to engage in water activities.

• Advantages

  • The XR system combines the physical tactile sensation of real water with the visual effects of virtual environments, not only reducing fear but also enhancing entertainment and enjoyment.
  • The floatation tank provides a safe and controlled water environment, minimizing initial risks in water fear training.

• Experiment and Evaluation Results

  • AAAQ questionnaire and interview data indicated that participants' fear of water environments gradually decreased after several floatation tank experiences.
  • Themes extracted from qualitative interviews included participants' newfound interest in water, enhanced interactive experiences, and expectations for future water activities.

• Limitations and Future Directions

  • This study only investigated one XR system and did not separately explore the independent effects of each virtual environment.
  • Some participants reported discomfort from water immersion in the ears and wearing the VR headset.
  • Future research could explore more diverse XR designs, expand sample sizes, and apply similar studies to other phobias (e.g., fear of heights).

Conclusion

This study extends the field of water-related human-computer interaction (WaterHCI) by integrating extended reality technology with floatation tanks for water fear intervention. The results demonstrate that this system can help participants reduce fear in an entertaining way while sparking interest in water activities. Future research should further optimize system components and explore its adaptability to different phobia groups.