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

Abstract

The text was partially generated with the help of ChatGPT [OpenAI, 2025].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.This study was financed in part by the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES, Brazil) – Finance Code 7.570688/2020-00 and 88881.689984/2022-01, National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPQ, Brazil) – Finance Code 307718/2020-4 and Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa e Inovação do Espírito Santo (FAPES, Brazil) – Finance Code 2021-GL60J