Assessing the quality of sensory experience for multimedia presentations

This paper introduces the concept of sensory experience by utilizing sensory effects such as wind or lighting as another dimension which contributes to the quality of the user experience. In particular, we utilize a representation format for sensory effects that are attached to traditional multimedia resources such as audio, video, and image contents. Sensory effects (e.g., wind, lighting, explosion, heat, cold) are rendered on special devices (e.g., fans, ambient lights, motion chair, air condition) in synchronization with the traditional multimedia resources and shall stimulate other senses than audition and vision (e.g., mechanoreception, equilibrioception, thermoreception), with the intention to increase the users Quality of Experience (QoE). In particular, the paper provides a comprehensive introduction into the concept of sensory experience, its assessment in terms of the QoE, and related standardization and implementation efforts. Finally, we will highlight open issues and research challenges including future work.