The Verge Features ICT’s Use of Oculus Rift for Virtual Reality PTSD Treatment

Published: April 22, 2013
Category: News

Writer Katie Drummond wrote an article on The Verge about the Oculus Rift’s impact on virtual reality therapy and focused on ICT’s Skip Rizzo and his work with the new device. The story noted that Oculus founder Palmer Luckey worked at ICT before founding his VR company. “With exposure therapy and PTSD, the entire idea is to get someone’s head into it as much as you can — we think that’s what’ll lead to better clinical outcomes,” said Rizzo in the story. Oculus Rift, given its low price and unprecedented realism, might reduce costs and increase immersion, Rizzo noted. The article stated that he plans to recommend that treatment sites already using Virtual Iraq consider using Oculus Rift, and has already demoed the system to military clinicians at Joint Base Lewis-McCord. “This has the capacity to turn virtual reality [therapy] into a mass market treatment,” he said. “I’m sure anyone doing this kind of clinical work will agree with me.”