VaiR: Simulating 3D Airflows in Virtual Reality

The integration of multi-sensory stimuli, e.g. haptic airflow, in virtual reality (VR) has become an important topic of VR research and proved to enhance the feeling of presence. VaiR focuses on an accurate and realistic airflow simulation that goes far beyond wind. While previous works on the topic of airflow in VR are restricted to wind, while focusing on the feeling of presence, there is to the best of our knowledge no work considering the conceptual background or on the various application areas. Our pneumatic prototype emits short and long term flows with a minimum delay and is able to animate wind sources in 3D space around the user's head. To get insights on how airflow can be used in VR and how such a device should be designed, we arranged focus groups and discussed the topic. Based on the gathered knowledge, we developed a prototype which proved to increase presence, as well as enjoyment and realism, while not disturbing the VR experience.