Thereās totally a chance that Birdly, a device which simulates flying like a bird, could be an amazing experience. But that doesnāt make this elaborate set-up, which includes a fan, a scent machine, and the Oculus Rift, any less ridiculous (in a good way).
I mean, look at this thing.
Donāt get me wrong, I want to try it, but dang. And I thought the virtual reality treadmills were intense! I canāt even imagine what people will come up with as the Oculus Rift becomes more ubiquitous.
In any case, Birdly was created by a team at Zurich university, and the device lets you pretend youāre flying. As you can see in the video, you flap your āwingsā in real life, and thatās translated to the Oculus Rift program, which gives you a birds-eye view of the locations you traverse. The fan gives you a sense of how fast youāre flying, and Birdly also allows you to smell your landscape as wellālike I said, itās pretty elaborate.
The entire thing may not provide the most graphically sophisticated demo, but if it comes anywhere near simulating the experience of flying, who cares?
(Via Engadget)
