video still by MultiMediaTechnology
AiRres Mask is a head-mounted device that controls the user’s breathing ability in order to bring the virtual experience a step closer to reality. Depending on the environmental conditions or the state of the virtual avatar, the hardware translates these difficulty levels into breathing actions. If, for example, the avatar walks through a place with intense smoke or heat, the system describes the sensation as restricted air supply, thus making the inhalation and exhalation for the users harder. Although the mask provides breathing resistance, it does not limit the wearer’s movement — which would ruin the entire experience.
UTILIZING BREATHING FOR PRECISE NATURAL INTERACTIONS
With AiRres Mask, the design team (Markus Tatzgern at the Salzburg University of Applied Sciences and his colleagues) sought to increase multi-sensory stimulation levels. By controlling the user’s breathing capability, the device increases the perception of danger, thus enhancing the immersion of the virtual reality experience. Consequently, the mask provides noticeable variations in breathing resistance, influenced by the virtual environment the user is within.
‘We utilize breathing resistance as a novel sensory feedback modality by allowing the VR application to manipulate the resistance at run-time depending on environmental conditions or the state of the virtual avatar […]In a user study, we demonstrate the mask’s precision measurements for interaction as well as its ability to use breathing resistance to communicate contextual information such as adverse environmental conditions that affect the user’s virtual avatar. Our results show that the AirRes mask enhances virtual experiences and has the potential to create more immersive scenarios for applications by enforcing the perception of danger or improving situational awareness in training simulations, or for psychotherapy by providing additional physical stimuli.’
For more details about the project, visit here.
video still by MultiMediaTechnology
project info:
name: AiRres Mask
by: Markus Tatzgern, Michael Domhardt, Martin Wolf, Michael Cenger, Gerlinde Emsenhuber, Radomir Dinic, Nathalie Gerner, Arnulf Hartl
Source: AiRres mask enhances VR experience by utilizing breathing resistance
