Development of an Unencumbered Wearable Olfactory Display

Abstract

Olfaction can be considered an important sensory modality in the next generation of Virtual Reality (VR) systems. Some studies have developed wearable olfactory displays to implement spatiotemporal control of olfaction. They release scented air under or in front of the users’ nose through tubes. These displays are generally cumbersome, and require the users to wear some invasive equipment on their faces and bodies. In addition, they are very limited in the quantity and number of odours that can be stored and generated. The research described in this paper aims at developing olfactory display that is wearable and that allows us to control and deliver at least four different odours. The study has focused on technical solutions for delivering at least four different odours to the users’ nose, and on wearability issues. A first prototype of the device has been developed and tested with an initial group of users, in order to check the device performances and the quality of the user experience. The test results are promising, and useful for the improvement of the device.