SensoryBlox: Plug-and-Feel Modular Multi-Sensory User Interface for Immersive Cardboard VR

We present SensoryBlox, a modular, multi-sensory user interface designed for integration with cardboard-based virtual reality (VR) head-mounted displays (HMDs). SensoryBlox features interchangeable sensory modules—vibration, temperature, wind, and olfactory—that enable users to assemble customized multi-sensory configurations tailored to diverse VR contexts. The system includes in-VR interfaces for module scanning, spatial tracking, and real-time customization of feedback patterns. To inform SensoryBlox design, we conducted three user studies. The initial study explored application scenarios and associated sensory modalities to identify design requirements for a modular multi-sensory VR system. Based on these findings, we developed the hardware modules and in-VR software interfaces. In the second study, we evaluated the usability and interaction experience of SensoryBlox across all functionalities. Finally, a comparison study examined the impact of multi-sensory feedback on user experience. Our findings demonstrate the potential of a modular multi-sensory system in enriching immersion and engaging interactions within low-cost VR environments.