Enhancement of Presence in a Virtual Sailing Environment through Localized Wind Simulation

In the context of sailing, wind plays an important role. However, there is little knowledge on how wind influences presence – the sense of “being there” - while immersed in a virtual setting. This article explores several wind parameters and presents a wind array to explore presence in a sail simulator. The simulation offered a virtual training track with a large-scale visualization, rudder input and haptic feedback on the main sheet line. In a controlled experiment, 10 participants tested the setup with and without wind; the results indicate that the wind contributes to presence and the level of engagement. Future setups address cover fan power, noise and wind temperature.