Felt Presence III is part of an on-going research effort to speculate the minimum multisensory stimuli it requires to induce the feeling of presence (FoP) experience in participating visitors.
To explore the imaginative dimensions of an empty space, this prototype introduces the whimsical effect of sheer fabric blown in the wind. A valuable detail of the fan mechanism is the consistent suspension before the flowing air reaches the fabric surface, which produces a visual feedback delay between the visitor movement and the air bump formation. This delaying procedure is designed to reduce the sense of agency in the body, so that it triggers the sensorimotor conflicts required for inspiring FoP.
Another upside here is the mystical visual language. Many visitors at the installation have reported perceiving an otherworldly presence, as they commented on the cultural allusion to a ghostly figure the fabric was made to look like.