The treatment of acrophobia using Augmented Reality (AR) is a line of very recent and novel research in the field of new technologies and Clinical Psychology. The AR incorporates virtual elements in the real world, so unlike Virtual Reality that replaces the whole reality, RA complements it.

Our research group is a pioneer in this field. We have designed a program that, instead of virtual items, uses immersive photographs of a real environment where the user can move around. Specifically, the user can lean out of an inside ladder, an outside staircase, a bridge, a dam, or from a window or balcony, and from different heights.

So far, the group has evaluated the sense of presence experienced by the user, with positive results in normal population without fear of heights.

We are currently implementing this program with patient diagnosed with fear of heights and, although no efficacy data is yet available, the patient informed high levels of anxiety during exposure and high levels of presence and reality judgment.

Future lines of research are aimed to testing the usefulness of this program, first in single case studies and subsequently in controlled studies and monitoring data to confirm the efficacy and efficiency of the AR as a therapeutic tool to treat this kind of phobias.