A Therapeutic Virtual Reality Game for Archery Performance Enhancement
Paykan is a Serious Virtual Reality Game (SVRG) designed to assist athletes—specifically archers—in overcoming Target Panic, a common performance block triggered by stress and anxiety in high-pressure environments. These psychological barriers can significantly impair precision and degrade otherwise well-honed motor skills. Developed through rigorous scientific research and in close partnership with veteran archery coaches, Paykan aims to deliver both therapeutic value and engaging gameplay.
System Overview
Built around a real recurve bow and arrow, Paykan integrates both software and hardware components to ensure authenticity in technique while delivering an immersive training experience.
Software Component
A 3D first-person shooter archery simulation featuring two distinct levels.
Level design, target placement, and game progression were crafted under the guidance of professional archery coaches.
Gameplay mechanics strike a deliberate balance between therapeutic objectives and user enjoyment, fostering repeat engagement without compromising performance integrity.
Hardware Component
To preserve the integrity of traditional archery form, any auxiliary components added to the bow are engineered to be lightweight and non-intrusive.
Early prototypes explored various tracking methods, including IMUs and laser-based sensors for arrow movement and release detection. These solutions, however, suffered from instability and inconsistency.
Ultimately, a custom touch-sensitive shooting interface was developed. This minimalist yet effective solution communicates wirelessly with the game system, enabling real-time data transmission without physical tethering—thus improving user mobility and overall system adaptability.
Paykan represents a pioneering intersection of virtual reality and sports psychology, redefining how immersive technology can support peak performance and wellbeing.
