Effect of multisensory integration for scientific data sensualization

In scientific computing, developing effective methods to display complex phenomena represented by numerical data is a key issue. In this study, virtual reality technology is applied to develop a multisensory data sensualization environment in which the user can use visual, acoustic, and touch sensations to understand scientific data. In particular, a prototype wind sensation display system was developed to generate touch sensation. In the multisensory data sensualization method, accurate and efficient transmission of data from the computer to the user is expected through the effective integration of several sensations. We conducted several experiments on the perception of scalar data and vector data in three dimensional space, using multisensory data sensualization methods, and verified their effectiveness in providing the user correct perceptions of data.