There's totally a chance that Birdly, a device which simulates flying like a bird, could be an amazing experience. But that doesn't make this elaborate set-up, which includes a fan, a scent machine, and the Oculus Rift, any less ridiculous (in a good way).


I mean, look at this thing.


Don't get me wrong, I want to try it, but dang. And I thought the virtual reality treadmills were intense! I can't even imagine what people will come up with as the Oculus Rift becomes more ubiquitous.

In any case, Birdly was created by a team at Zurich university, and the device lets you pretend you're flying. As you can see in the video, you flap your "wings" in real life, and that's translated to the Oculus Rift program, which gives you a birds-eye view of the locations you traverse. The fan gives you a sense of how fast you're flying, and Birdly also allows you to smell your landscape as well—like I said, it's pretty elaborate.

The entire thing may not provide the most graphically sophisticated demo, but if it comes anywhere near simulating the experience of flying, who cares?

(Via Engadget)