Evaluation of airflow effect on a VR walk

The present study investigates the augmentation effect of airflow on the sensation of a virtual reality walk. The intensity of cutaneous sensation evoked by airflow during the real and virtual walk was measured. The airflow stimulus was added to the participant with passive vestibular motion and visual presentation. The result suggests that the sensation of walking was strongly increased by adding the airflow stimulus to the vestibular and optic presentations. The cutaneous sensation of airflow was perceived higher for the sitting participant than during a real walk in both a single and the combined stimuli. The equivalent speed of airflow for the sitting participant was lowered from the airflow speed in the real walk.