Vertical Wind Tunnels for VR

[Synexious]

Do you think vertical wind tunnels could be adapted for use with HMDs? They could be used to simulate skydiving. I also imagined a VWT that switches on and off, so when you jump it keeps you in the air for the duration of the jump, allowing superjumps and flights to be blended with walking and running. This would require an ODT through which air can somehow pass, which seems nearly impossible (thinly-spaced slats, maybe?), or a quickly retracting ODT, which seems impossible as well.

[youtube-hd]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9U3RuceY ... re=related[/youtube-hd]

[bobv5]

I don't see any reason it couldn't be done. A fan with variable pitch blades (like a helicopter rotor) could be used to allow the wind to start/stop faster than the blade rotation speed could change.

A relatively normal odt could be used, with holes in the belts for air to pass. Would obviously reduce efficiency, but then the power bill is going to be huge anyway. I have no idea how the wind passing through the odt would affect if it would be suitable for diving.

EDIT-- While I'm sure a great skydiving sim could be made, I don't think the superjump thing would be such a good idea. It would feel more like being blown away by a huge wind that jumping. If you did a superjump, the wind would hit you from above, trying to slow you down. Go outside and do some superjumps, you'll see what I mean.

[Synexious]

Well it could be a fantasy superjump Like summoning a gust of wind to push you up. Noise would be another difficulty. Thick earcups would be needed, and even then the noise might be too much. I suppose the flightsuits are necessary, too.

[cybereality]

Man, that looks like fun!