Drone Rider: Enhanced Feelings of Flying Using a Vibratory and Passively Inclining Foot Plate

This study investigated the effects of two techniques to improve the sense of immersion and flying for flight simulators in immersive virtual reality environments. To test their effects, we used a drone simulator, with an operator standing on a drone and controlling it over a natural landscape by inclining his/her body toward the travelling direction. The first technique involved vibratory feedback through a foot plate that delivered the simulated vibration and sounds of the left and right propellers of the drone. The second technique involved the passive roll and pitch rotation of the foot plate when the operator actively shifted the center of his/her body mass. In a user experiment involving 12 participants, the passive inclination of the stage was found to enhance immersive feelings, while the vibratory feedback to the soles were found to enhance both feelings of flying and immersion. This study helps develop a drone and other flying simulators using immersive virtual reality settings.