Birdly was first conceived by media artist Max Rheiner as a Design Research project at the Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK) in Switzerland in 2013 and was developed into a product developed alongside the SOMNIACS spin out company.
Birdly creates an immersive experience of being a bird flying through the city. The project consists of a bespoke controller for a virtual environment where the players body is augmented using a body controller. The player is strapped in and flaps their arms to control the wings of the bird. The immersion is enhanced with the use of a fan which blasts air at the player to simulate speed. The player views the world through a head mounted display which does not simulate bird vision but displays the virtual city around the player for them to soar over and through.