Prototyping and Evaluating TWIRL: A Temperature-Controlled DIY Airflow System for Enhancing Immersive Media

Aleph Campos da Silveira; Eduardo Correa Rodrigues; Estevao Bissoli Saleme; Alexandra Covaci; Gheorghita Ghinea; Celso Alberto Saibel Santos

doi:10.5753/jis.2025.5955

Authors

Aleph Campos da Silveira Federal University of Espirito Santo https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9465-4280
Eduardo Correa Rodrigues Federal University of Espirito Santo https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6655-2583
Estevao Bissoli Saleme Federal University of Espirito Santo https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1856-3824
Alexandra Covaci University of Kent https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3205-2273
Gheorghita Ghinea Brunel University London https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2578-5580
Celso Alberto Saibel Santos Federal University of Espirito Santo https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3287-5843

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5753/jis.2025.5955

Keywords:

Haptics, Multisensory experiences, Thermal stimuli, Wind, Airflow

Abstract

This study presents the design, prototyping, and user-centered evaluation of TWIRL (Thermal Wind Right and Left), a low-cost, temperature-controlled airflow system aimed at enhancing immersion in multisensory media experiences. TWIRL integrates hot and cold airflow generation, via Peltier-based cooling modules and modified hairdryer heating units, synchronized with audiovisual content using Sensory Effects Metadata (MPEG-V). A preliminary user study (N = 12) evaluated perceived realism, enjoyment, comfort, and engagement while experiencing thermally congruent video stimuli. The results indicated high participant acceptance, with thermal effects classified as realistic, pleasant, and nonintrusive, supported by strong internal consistency metrics. The participants expressed a willingness to use TWIRL in the future and recommend it, suggesting the potential of TWIRL to increase the presence and enjoyment of multisensory systems. The findings contribute to the understanding of thermal-wind integration in mulsemedia and offer design guidelines for future scalable, multisensory systems in the entertainment, education, and accessibility domains.

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