With the help of the virtual reality headset Oculus Rift, users can move in the virtual space without getting up from their chairs. So far the main focus from the inventors has been the entertainment sector. However, Oculus Rift offers huge potential for business simulations or surgical training environments in serious use cases. So far, a major problem is the controller interface, which is not as immersive as the visual interface. This problem is approached in this work as it considers possibilities and ideas to combine virtual reality and gesture control to develop a serious showcase.

After a literature review which covers virtuality reality in general, Oculus Rift, different gesture controllers, possible use cases and an introduction into phobias and anxieties to understand how virtual reality treatment can help sufferers, the system engineering phase follows. In this part the development of the showcase application is explained while the different hardware and software components are tested on their functionalities. In the end a conclusion is derived and an outlook for the future of virtual reality and its possbilites in the health sector is given.

The results of this study show that there are various possiblities in different fields for serious virtual reality use cases. Furthermore in the health sector there are several studies for the use of virtual reality in treatment of different afflictions. It is discussed how virtual reality can be effective for the treatment of anxieties and phobias and a showcase application for claustrophoba treatment is developed. The Leap Motion gesture controller proves to be the most effective and immersive additon to the virtual reality headset Oculus Rift. The software engineering is done in Unity, a powerful Game Engine that enables easier development of such applications. The showcase is captured in video and the application is usable and available to the principal. Lastly with the launch of the consumer version of the affordable Oculus Rift in 2016 the first milestone for available virtual reality solutions is set. The developed prototype for claustrophia treatment could be enhanced even more and maybe used in further studies as virtual reality treatment still requires clinical studies to prove its effectivity.