Breathe, connect, and watch fireflies respond to your touch and breath
BRieFLY is an exploratory VR prototype combining mindful breathing with playful interaction. This 6-minute meditative experience immerses users in a mixed reality environment where shimmering fireflies dynamically respond to their movements, as illustrated in the video below. The session begins with a 3-minute narrated breathing practice to foster relaxation and breath awareness, followed by 3 minutes of playful interaction.
The system was developed in Unity for the Meta Quest 3 head-mounted display, leveraging hand tracking for intuitive interaction and passthrough to blend virtual and physical environments as seen in the supplementary video. Hand tracking allows users to interact directly with the fireflies, eliminating the need for controllers. Meanwhile, the passthrough video feed gradually dims the real surroundings to help users transition smoothly into the mixed-reality environment. Seeing the real physical surroundings provides a grounding element that makes the experience more accessible and to prevent cybersickness.
Fireflies were chosen for their symbolic connection to nature, themes of belonging, and playful allure. The glowing purple and white hues were chosen to create a calming and meditative atmosphere. While most of the fireflies move in synchronized flock-like patterns, others float independently to mimic natural swarming behaviours. This design was intended to evoke curiosity, connection, and a sense of wonder, while maintaining a playful and relaxing tone.
