ZeroPhobia: Fear of Spiders

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Scientific
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AR
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We created ZeroPhobia: Fear of Spiders, a mobile app that uses augmented reality to gradually expose users to spiders, helping them confront and overcome their fear step by step.
Made for

InSession,
University of Freiburg Germany

AR Development: Orb Amsterdam
UI Design: Studio Barbaar
3D Characters: Luc Verslijnen

Overcoming Fear with Technology

ZeroPhobia: Fear of Spiders builds on the success of earlier editions of ZeroPhobia, which targeted other common phobias such as heights and airplane travel. These apps utilized immersive technology to expose users gradually to their fears in a controlled manner, allowing them to build resilience step by step.

VU Amsterdam approached Orb to adapt this approach for arachnophobia by designing tailored exposure levels that would introduce users to spiders incrementally, ensuring the process remained gradual and effective.

An AR-Driven Solution

We created a mobile app informed by insights from earlier ZeroPhobia editions. For this specific phobia, we redesigned exposure therapy by shifting from virtual reality (VR) to augmented reality (AR), offering more lifelike and relatable scenarios for addressing spider phobia. Users encounter realistic spiders in AR, directly within their environment. They progress through gradually intensifying levels to overcome their fear.

To enhance realism and user engagement, the app includes lifelike interactions, such as simulating spiders crawling on the user’s hand. The intuitive AR interface ensures accessibility, even for those less familiar with technology.

Last but not least: the app includes a virtual pet spider. Users are required to complete daily exposure therapy to keep it alive. This engaging feature helps foster an emotional bond and gradually shifts fear into familiarity.

Impact

The app was partially funded by the Province North-Holland MIT Subsidy. Following a successful Randomised Controlled Trial (RCT) at VU Amsterdam, the app launched globally, and the findings have been published.

Toffolo MBJ, Fehribach JR, van Klaveren CPBJ, Cornelisz I, van Straten A, van Gelder J-L, Donker, T. (2022) Automated app-based augmented reality cognitive behavioral therapy for spider phobia: Study protocol for a randomized controlled trial. PLoS ONE 17(7): e0271175. https://doi.org/ 10.1371/journal.pone.0271175