RECLAIMING GROUND

RECLAIMING GROUND is a serious-game therapy system combining AR glasses with a custom smart grip to support graduated exposure therapy for post-disaster PTSD. The project creates controlled, scalable “ruin scenarios” overlaid onto the user’s real environment while continuously monitoring heart rate and Subjective Units of Distress (SUDS). The smart grip delivers synchronized haptic cues and a calming light pulse, and includes an immediate “Safe Exit” control so users retain absolute agency. Data from physiological signals and self-reported SUDS feed a closed-loop algorithm that adjusts intensity and provides multi-sensory interventions (guided-breathing visuals, soothing vibration) when anxiety rises. The grip’s casing is manufactured from biodegradable materials to reduce environmental impact and support the project’s sustainability goals. Designed for clinical integration and home use, RECLAIMING GROUND reframes exposure therapy into a safer, data-driven, and user-empowering journey toward rebuilding emotional tolerance and a sense of safety.