Virtual Reality Design Examples

Virtual Reality can be about more than seeing and hearing - it can also include FEELING - which we call "Haptics" Now usually this is achieved using special Haptic Gloves which create the illusion of pressure on the wearers' fingertips and resistance to their grip. There are even full body suits and rigs for total immersion. However thus far these are either cumbersome, expensive or both, ruling out many users from these more physical experiences. However, systems like the one shown use technologies like ultrasonic fields (basically high frequency, high intensity soundwaves) to "beam" the shape of virtual objects into the air, creating the illusion of touch without any need for gloves or other peripherals. Over the years I've tried several of these systems, and they have progressed from beaming vague inpressions of very small, basic shapes to providing everything from movement to texture and even temperature (imagine being able to feel the difference between a cold glass of water and a hot clay mug of coffee - when neither are really there at all?) If you've ever woken up having slept on your arm and tried to make your morning tea with a numb hand, you'll know the importance of being able to feel what you're doing. Perhaps this form of Virtual Touch technology could be the opportunity we need to bring feeling into the spatial experience. #virtualreality #vr #haptics

Designing for the senses, how do you trick the brain into believing what it sees? In XR the secret to immersion lies in human perception. Sight, sound, touch and even smell work together to convince your brain that the virtual is real. But here’s the challenge: if these sensory inputs aren’t perfectly synchronized, the illusion breaks. A delayed sound or mismatched haptic feedback? Suddenly, you’re reminded it’s all just pixels and code. So, how do designers achieve harmony? 🔹 Visuals: High resolution, smooth motion, and minimal latency. 🔹 Audio: Spatial soundscapes that match what you see. 🔹 Touch: Haptic feedback that mirrors real-world sensations. 🔹 Smell & Taste: Emerging areas for deeper immersion in the future. The key is balance, too much stimulation can overwhelm users, while lag or inconsistency breaks the experience entirely. Curious about how XR designers pull this off? I’ve broken it down further in my latest article.

Accessibility isn’t just compliance. At its most expansive, it’s an invitation for more ways in. In The Sensory Bloom — a research-informed framework developed during my experience design residency — experience is understood as layered and embodied. Rather than isolating the senses, it examines how multisensory design cultivates deeper, more resonant experiences. At the outermost layer of the Bloom, the senses form the threshold where experience first meets the body. This layer creates access, shaping who can enter, how easily, and through which pathways. From there, we move inward, layer by layer, toward engagement, meaning, and ultimately resonance. Because differences in ability, neurodivergence, learning style, and sensory preference shape how we experience environments, multisensory design creates parallel pathways into meaning. Here’s what “more ways in” can look like: 🖐 TOUCH: Tactile replicas and material affordances that support blind and low-vision visitors (and deepen understanding for everyone). At SFMOMA San Francisco Museum of Modern Art’s Ruth Asawa exhibit, I encountered a bas-relief sculpture you could physically touch, grounding interpretation in texture, weight, and form. 👂 SOUND: Soundscapes that communicate mood and narrative across languages, ages, and lived experience. At Luna Luna, a sudden drumbeat gathered visitors into a shared moment, drawing bodies together to witness live costumed dancers. 👃 SMELL: Scents that trigger memory and emotion instantly — often before cognition catches up. At Ether (an olfactory exhibit in LA), the woody scent of a hearth connected me to home and warmth before my eyes even found its source. The more senses we design through, the more people we invite in. And not just more people, but more of each person. Their body, memory, emotion, and difference. If you design experiences, I’d love to hear: What’s a sensory doorway you’ve seen open access for someone — touch, sound, scent, movement, or something else? -- #SensoryDesign #Accessibility #ExperienceDesign

We are pleased to share our new article, “Touch and Feel Virtual Objects,” (https://lnkd.in/eQyAj5dn) featured in IEEE Computer as the Technology Prediction. In this article, we explore how AR/VR is evolving from purely visual and auditory experiences to systems that let users physically interact with the virtual world. A key highlight is aerohaptics — a technology using precisely controlled air jets to simulate touch, pressure, temperature, and even scent, enabling users to feel virtual objects without wearing any devices. The article also discusses the broader shift toward natural tactile interaction in AR/VR, where virtual shapes, surfaces, and forces can be rendered in mid-air to create intuitive, lifelike experiences. Combined with emerging wireless olfactory interfaces and full-spectrum sensory integration, these advancements are poised to transform healthcare, education, entertainment, and remote collaboration. As AI-driven, context-aware environments mature, the future of AR/VR is one where digital interactions feel remarkably real. Congratulations Adamos Christou. Northeastern University Northeastern University College of Engineering ECE Northeastern Institute for Experiential Robotics Ravinder S. Dahiya #touch #feel #vr #ar #prediction #computer #ai #senses #hologram #virtual #digital #Haptics #IEEE #TechPrediction #ImmersiveTech #Research #Innovation