For the virtual paraglider project, a specially designed structure was built to simulate a paraglider. The construction consists of a frame with a suspended paraglider harness. The structure provides the program with three inputs: the rotation angle of the harness, and the pulling force of the left and right brake lines. These inputs give the user control possibilities that create an immersive and realistic sensation of paragliding. For additional immersion, a fan is used to generate a wind effect. The fan speed changes depending on the paraglider’s speed.
The virtual environment was created based on the Kaunas University of Technology Student Campus. Since the user is lifted high in virtual reality and sees a large area, not only the campus but also a broader section of Kaunas city was modeled. Special attention was paid to creating a convincing environment of the campus and its main buildings – Santaka Valley, the Faculty of Design, the Electronics Palace, and others. The entire virtual environment covers an area of 4 square kilometers.
