VR experiences offer spectacular sounds and visuals, but they often lack the final element: tactile feedback. When your brain feels like it’s in one place, and your body feels like it’s in another, that disconnect can stop you from losing yourself in the illusion.
Birdly has a solution for their simulator, and it will make you feel like you’re actually flying.
Birdly augments the Oculus Rift with a proprietary device that simulates flight–as it feels to a bird. “You command your flight with arms and hands which directly correlates to the wings (flapping) and the primary feathers of the bird (navigation). This input is reflected in the flight model of the bird and returned as a physical feedback by the simulator through nick, roll, and heave movements.”
What about the wind? Birdly includes a fan that regulates the speed of the headwind based on how fast you’re flying.
The product was originally developed as a university design project —now it’s a commercial product. Check it out below, and invite me over if you buy one, please. I’ll bring snacks.
