Wind and warmth in virtual reality: implementation and evaluation

Abstract

One possibility to make virtual worlds more immersive is to address as many human senses as possible. This paper presents a system for creating wind and warmth simulations in Virtual Reality (VR). Therefore, suitable hardware and an implemented software model applied in a three-sided CAVE are described. Technical evaluations of the hardware and software components demonstrate the usability of the system in VR applications. A pilot user study underlines users' acceptance and indicates a positive influence of wind and warmth stimuli on perceived presence.