RECLAIMING GROUND

RECLAIMING GROUND — Project Description (English, Revised)

RECLAIMING GROUND: A Game Interface and Smart Grip for Accessible Post-Disaster PTSD Exposure Therapy

Project Overview

RECLAIMING GROUND is an innovative digital therapeutic system designed to address the long-term effects of childhood earthquake trauma. It consists of a therapeutic game interface and a proprietary smart grip, working together to deliver accessible, graded exposure therapy for adults living with Persistent Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The system empowers users to safely reclaim control over their trauma responses through a personalized and data-driven healing journey at home.

The Problem

Many individuals who experience earthquake trauma in childhood endure PTSD symptoms into adulthood—re-experiencing, avoidance, negative cognitions, and hypervigilance—severely impacting their lives. While clinically recommended trauma-focused therapy requires repeated, graded, and controlled exposure, there is a critical lack of safe, consistent, and accessible tools for home practice. This gap often forces users into a difficult choice: endure the extreme discomfort of unstructured self-exposure or avoid practice altogether due to the fear of being overwhelmed, thereby hindering recovery.

The Solution

Our solution centers on a user-centric software-hardware ecosystem. The game interface presents customizable, graded virtual environments that simulate trauma-associated scenarios. The core innovation is the smart grip, a multi-sensory biofeedback controller.

The grip features haptic feedback and a calming light pulse system. It synchronizes with the game to provide real-time, tactile comfort and breathing guidance. Crucially, it integrates physiological monitoring, allowing the system to track user distress levels objectively. When anxiety escalates, the system proactively intervenes through the grip's vibrations and lights, coaching regulation before distress becomes overwhelming. An immediate physical "Safe Exit" button on the grip grants users absolute control, building the trust necessary for effective engagement. This closed-loop system ensures exposure is always gradual, measured, and user-led.

Conclusion

By focusing on the critical interaction layer between user and therapy, RECLAIMING GROUND provides a missing link in PTSD care. It transforms the daunting prospect of exposure into a secure, self-paced process, finally making safe and consistent practice a viable reality for survivors.