CASE STUDY · HEALTHCARE RESEARCH VR

Skydiving and turbulence, for addiction research

For a Canadian mental health research institute, we built two guided VR experiences, a skydive and a turbulent flight, used in research with people dealing with addiction. While participants are in VR, their heart rate, breathing and head movement are measured, and researchers watch it all live.

CLIENT: A Canadian mental health research institute
INDUSTRY: Healthcare and research
WHAT WE BUILT: 2 VR experiences, body tracking and a researcher app
WHERE IT RUNS: Meta Quest 2 with sensory pods, in the lab

Parachuting over snowy mountains in the skydiving VR experience

AT A GLANCE

2 guided experiencesA skydive and a turbulent flight
Live body signalsHeart rate, breathing and head movement
MultisensoryReal wind, heat, cold and scent
Researcher appOne desktop app to follow every session

THE PROBLEM

Studying stress needs real moments, made safe

The institute researches how people dealing with addiction respond to intense, stressful situations. Recreating those moments in a lab, safely and the same way every time, is very hard.

Questionnaires only capture what people remember afterwards. Researchers needed to see how the body actually reacts, second by second.

Every session had to be identical, so results could be compared fairly between participants.

HOW WE SOLVED IT

Intense experiences, measured to the second

We built two guided VR experiences, connected them to body sensors and sensory pods, and gave researchers a live view of everything.

01
A skydive and a stormy flight
Participants either jump from a plane and parachute down over mountains, or sit through a long flight that turns turbulent. Both feel intense, but are completely safe.
THE CHALLENGEThe experiences had to feel real enough to trigger a genuine response, without overwhelming vulnerable participants.
HOW WE SOLVED ITWe worked closely with the researchers on pacing and intensity, building each moment up gradually.
02
A calm voice guides every step
A voice over guides participants through each experience, so every session follows exactly the same script.
THE CHALLENGEResearch needs every participant to have the same experience, in the same order and timing.
HOW WE SOLVED ITWe timed every scene to the voice over, so sessions are identical and results can be compared.
03
Feel the wind, not just see it
Sensory pods add wind, heat, cold and scent at the right moments, from the open plane door to the descent.
THE CHALLENGEPhysical effects that arrive late break the illusion, and the data.
HOW WE SOLVED ITWe synced each effect to the experience timeline, so it lands at exactly the right moment.
04
The body tells the story
Heart rate, breathing and head movement are recorded throughout. A desktop app lets researchers watch these signals live while the session runs.
THE CHALLENGERecording body signals without breaking immersion, and matching them to what the participant was seeing.
HOW WE SOLVED ITWe built the sensors into the setup and time stamped every reading against the experience, so researchers see exactly what caused each reaction.