Inspiration
The concept for MetaPets emerged from a desire to address a growing gap in mental health care. While traditional therapy options are invaluable, they often come with barriers like cost, availability, and stigma. Coupled with the stressful lifestyles people lead today, there's an increasing need for immediate, personalized therapeutic interventions. Moreover, the comfort and companionship offered by pets inspired us to blend the realms of virtual pets and therapeutic care into one cohesive AR/VR experience.
What it Does
MetaPets is a groundbreaking AR/VR application that combines the features of virtual pets with personalized mental health therapy. Users can choose their virtual pet and engage with it in a shared or private virtual space. The pet's behavior and the activities it proposes are tailored based on the user's selected focus areas, such as anxiety, depression, or PTSD. As users complete tasks and achieve milestones, both the pet and the user "level up," unlocking new features, environments, and even pet abilities.
How We Built It
We utilized a stack consisting of Unity for the AR/VR development, Node.js for the backend, and MongoDB for the database. The machine learning aspect, crucial for personalizing therapy plans, was implemented using Python and TensorFlow. The frontend was designed using Three.js to create realistic, engaging 3D elements. Additionally, we consulted with healthcare professionals to ensure that the therapeutic activities proposed by the app are evidence-based and effective.
What's Next for MetaPets
Telehealth Integration: We aim to integrate MetaPets with telehealth services to facilitate more comprehensive mental health care. Community Features: We plan on implementing forums and chat rooms where users can share their achievements, tips, and even offer peer support. Expansion of Therapeutic Options: More therapy focuses and a wider variety of activities will be introduced, based on user feedback and medical advice. Multi-Platform Support: Expanding availability to more platforms including mobile, PC and gaming consoles.
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