“Virtual Hang-gliding over Rio de Janeiro” by Soares, Nomura, Cabral, Nagamura, Lopes, et al. …

Hang-gliding is a very enjoyable sport, provided in many tourist places. But many people are still afraid to fly in such system or unable to travel to Rio de Janeiro. Using virtual reality we developed a virtual tour over Rio de Janeiro. In this system the user can see the city and its beautiful sights from a different perspective providing a safe and fun environment where people can experience a truly immersive hang-gliding flight. By easing fear and eliminating the risks, the experience is enhanced. It could cure problems caused by lack of self-confidence and can also be used for training as well. This solution could even encourage people to try a real hang-gliding experience.

This virtual tour is composed by a real hang-gliding structure of about 9 square meters where the user can rest on a hang strap. The control is a modified joystick connected to the glider’s frame. For user visualization we are using a HMD which supports stereoscopic vision and audio stereo with head tracking. The wind sensation is created by a fan positioned in front of the user. The wind speed is controlled according to the user interaction with the system.