Immersive VR Gadget

Introduction

While there are some peripheral devices for VR, such as haptic accessories, their variety is still limited, and it's not easy to provide convincing tactile feedback to increase immersion.

Thats why I developed a device that makes VR experiences more immersive by stimulating the user’s sense of temperature and touch.

Wearing "Immersive VR Gadget", users can feel heat when walking through a desert under the scorching sun, coolness when exploring arctic landscapes, or refreshing mist while standing in front of a waterfall.

Features

This Gadget provides thermal feedback with Peltier elements and spraying mist with ultrasonic humidifier modules. It can synchronize the effects with VR scenes by controlling wirelessly.

The unit is designed as a neck-mounted wearable, allowing users to put it on easily, feel the temperature more intensely, and see the mist in their eyes.

The reason why a compact wearable device can be created is that Atom Motion includes a battery, microcontroller, and I²C interface with its small size and light weight!

Design

A VR/AR application running on MetaQuest or XREAL sends control signals via MQTT to the gadget. Then, the gadget’s controller, M5Stack Atom Motion manages thermal feedback and mist spray functions.

Details of each component of "VR Applications" and "Immersive VR Gadget" are explained below.

Immersive VR Gadget

1. Cooling/Heating Function

The commercial neck cooler included Peltier elements and cooling fans. I replaced its control board with one using a motor driver, enabling the M5Stack to toggle the Peltier’s hot and cold sides by switching polarity.

2. Water Spray Function

An ultrasonic humidifier module generates mist. Its power supply is switched ON/OFF through the motor driver, controlled by the M5Stack.

3. Enclosure

A 3D-printed housing was added to the neck cooler to accommodate the battery box and the humidifier module. By mounting Humidifier module with a ball joint, it can be adjuted to spray mist toward the user's face.

VR Applications

I developed two VR applications to demonstrate the gadget.

1. 360° Video Playback of Environmental Scenes

Overview: 360° videos of a sauna, a waterfall, and a waterslide are played, sending signals to the gadget to trigger matching thermal and mist effects.

Design: Videos are rendered on a sphere using Unity’s VideoPlayer. MQTT signals are triggered in sync with the scenes. To compensate for device response delay, short black frames are inserted between clips, during which control signals are pre-sent.

Videos were created with generative AI tool below

• https://runwayml.com/
• https://invideo.io/

Audios were used from the royalty free site blow

• https://pixabay.com/music/

2. Dinosaur Fire-Breathing Game

Overview: A giant dinosaur approaches the player and breathes fire. At that moment, the gadget produces heat. The player can throw water orbs to defeat the dinosaur. When an orb hits, both a splash effect appears in VR and real mist is sprayed onto the user.

Design: Just before the fire-breathing sequence, a heat signal is sent via MQTT to account for device delay. When a water orb collides with the dinosaur, a mist signal is triggered, activating the spray function in sync with the VR effect.