The Empathy Project portrays what a manic and psychotic experience of a person with Bipolar I Disorder could be like. This artistic representation gives a taste of inner thoughts, feelings, and challenges that those with bipolar disorder may experience.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Everyone\u2019s experience is different.<\/span><\/p>\n Let\u2019s take a new perspective and empathize with each other\u2019s challenges.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Empathy Project aims to help destigmatize the issues surrounding mental health. We have talked and interviewed with several people with bipolar disorder, and have combined those different experiences to create a new one. This new experience aims to expand people\u2019s understanding and perception of bipolar disorder, and, by extension, overall mental health. The new experience, The Empathy Project, puts the user in the shoes of someone going through manic symptoms. The audience also participates in this experience by watching the user and seeing through their eyes. The goal of The Empathy Project is to invoke compassion and a new understanding of the invisible challenges other people may face.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n This project incorporates elements of the themes of liveness and ambiguity. Liveness really comes into play when there is a user and an audience – when it is more of a performance. It is also relevant with the user, as the user really lives in another person\u2019s shoes and sees through their eyes. Ambiguity is also present – there are no instructions on how the user should experience the project. They can just do what feels natural and explore the space.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Unity<\/span><\/p>\n Interaction Scripts in C++<\/span><\/p>\n Max 7 Audio<\/span><\/p>\n Oculus Rift<\/span><\/p>\n VR Backpack<\/span><\/p>\n Motion Capture System<\/span><\/p>\n Spatial Audio System<\/span><\/p>\n VT ICAT Perform Studio<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Mania and Psychosis<\/b><\/p>\n Symptoms<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n Challenges<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n Depression<\/b><\/p>\n Symptoms<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n Challenges<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n [Source: National Institute of Mental Health (nimh.nih.gov\/health\/topics\/bipolar-disorder<\/a>)]<\/span><\/p>\n Our Virtual Reality environment incorporates elements of realism to help immerse the user into a new perspective. <\/span><\/p>\n The surroundings are that of a studio apartment, which has a kitchen, living room, bedroom, and a bathroom. Many of the elements presented in the room are interactive:<\/span><\/p>\n The environment also uses some symbolism to help convey feelings and emotions that a person with bipolar disorder may experience.<\/span><\/p>\n Elements in the apartment that are missing or are oddly presented are purposeful:<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Many of the symptoms are represented through the narration of internal thoughts.<\/span><\/p>\n Similar to real life, the narration shows the internal thought process and gradual presentation of mental symptoms.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Sleeping Habits<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n A person\u2019s normal sleep cycle can be disrupted by mania and psychosis.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cOh yay\u2026 another night with only 5 hours of sleep.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Lack of Focus, Forgetfulness<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n Mania may cause difficulties focusing, and depression may bring about fatigue and forgetfulness.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWhere\u2019s my toothbrush?\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Grandiose Delusions<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n Mania may cause a person to have grandiose thoughts or delusions.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cAh so\u2026 God told me to hide my toothbrush\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Hallucinations<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n Psychosis can lead to a person losing touch with reality.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWhat was that?!\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Deep Nonsensical Thought<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n Mania can lead to a person having thoughts that seem very deep and obscure.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWhat is this place…\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The live demonstration with the one user and the audience is purposeful and meaningful.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The User<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n The ICAT Perform Studio has motion capture and spatial audio systems. With these technologies available, the user dons a VR backpack that has an Oculus Rift with tracking sensors attached. <\/span><\/p>\n The user can freely move about the room and interact with the to-scale apartment in real space. <\/span><\/p>\n The user also experiences spatial audio as they move about the apartment. The different, relevant narrations are triggered to begin as the user traverses around the apartment.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Audience<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n As the audience (those without bipolar disorder), we cannot experience the world through the user\u2019s (a person with bipolar disorder) perspective, but we can learn to understand and empathize with their experience.<\/span><\/p>\n The audience can observe the user moving throughout the room and wonder what they are doing and their motivations behind their actions, similar to the real world roles as neurotypical people and those with bipolar disorder.<\/span><\/p>\n We, as the audience, can also see through the user\u2019s perspective by watching the monitor on the wall, which displays what the user is seeing in virtual reality.<\/span><\/p>\n The audience is also able to experience the sounds and narrations that the user experiences. The narrations are spatially located to where the user is, so the experience of the audience is that the narration is coming from the user.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n This presentation can give the audience an insight into another person\u2019s perspective and life.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n https:\/\/youtu.be\/kyVEj2EjGOU<\/a><\/p>\n This demo shows the interactive elements of The Empathy Project.<\/span><\/p>\n https:\/\/youtu.be\/Cl_HEH7D0Rw<\/a><\/p>\n This video shows the performance aspect of The Empathy Project.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n During the final performance of The Empathy Project on December 11, 2018, brochures with this information was handed out. The brochure<\/a>:<\/p>\n You can view a high quality version here<\/a>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n If you are experiencing symptoms similar to bipolar disorder or another mental illness, please talk to your doctor. <\/span><\/p>\n There are many methods to help improve your life.<\/span><\/p>\n If You Are in Crisis: <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n Have Questions?<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n Contact the NAMI HelpLine<\/span><\/p>\nMotivation<\/b><\/h4>\n
Themes<\/b><\/h4>\n
Technologies<\/b><\/h4>\n
Background Information on Bipolar I Disorder<\/b><\/h4>\n
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<\/p>\nThe Environment<\/b><\/h4>\n
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Representation of Symptoms<\/b><\/h4>\n
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Presentation<\/b><\/h4>\n
Demonstration<\/b><\/h4>\n
Creative Note<\/h4>\n
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\u00a0Front of Brochure<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/wordpress.cs.vt.edu\/ccs2018f\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/89\/2018\/12\/Screen-Shot-2018-12-10-at-10.04.14-PM-132x300.png\")
\u00a0Inside Flap of Brochure<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/wordpress.cs.vt.edu\/ccs2018f\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/89\/2018\/12\/Screen-Shot-2018-12-10-at-10.03.27-PM-300x232.png\")
\u00a0Inside of Brochure<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/wordpress.cs.vt.edu\/ccs2018f\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/89\/2018\/12\/Screen-Shot-2018-12-10-at-10.04.01-PM-128x300.png\")
\u00a0Back of Brochure<\/p>\nResources<\/b><\/h4>\n
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