Work

Prototyping and Evaluating TWIRL: A Temperature-Controlled DIY Airflow System for Enhancing Immersive Media

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: This study presents the design, prototyping, and user-centered evaluation of TWIRL (Thermal Wind Right and Left), a low-cost, temperature-controlled airflow system aimed at enhancing immersion in multisensory media experiences. TWIRL integrates hot and cold airflow generation, via Peltier-based cooling modules and modified hairdryer heating units, synchronized with audiovisual content using Sensory Effects Metadata (MPEG-V). A preliminary user study (N = 12) evaluated perceived realism, enjoyment, comfort, and engagement while experiencing thermally congruent video stimuli. The results indicated high participant acceptance, with thermal effects classified as realistic, pleasant, and nonintrusive, supported by strong internal consistency metrics. The participants expressed a willingness to use TWIRL in the future and recommend it, suggesting the potential of TWIRL to increase the presence and enjoyment of multisensory systems. The findings contribute to the understanding of thermal-wind integration in mulsemedia and offer design guidelines for future scalable, multisensory systems in the entertainment, education, and accessibility domains.

Source: Journal on Interactive Systems

DOI: 10.5753/jis.2025.5955

Authors: Aleph Campos da Silveira, Eduardo Correa Rodrigues, Estevao Bissoli Saleme, Alexandra Covaci, Gheorghita Ghinea, Celso Alberto Saibel Santos

Institutions: Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, University of Kent, Brunel University of London

Language: English

Topic: Virtual Reality Applications and Impacts

Subfield: Human-Computer Interaction

Field: Computer Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: diamond

Funder: Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior

Awards: G116629194, G47252533