Smell perception in virtual spacecraft? A ground-based approach to sensory data collection

Abstract

The study explored context-driven food odour perception with links to chemical profiling of flavour compounds. Participants rated the intensity of three food odours (vanilla, almond, lemon) in a Neutral context and VR simulation of the International Space Station. The study involved 54 adults aged 18–39 years with no history of motion sickness and/or vertigo. The VR context demonstrated significantly higher intensity ratings for vanilla (P = 0.009) and almond (P < 0.001) odours, compared to the Neutral context. Clustering based on perceived intensity identified that those less sensitive to the odours perceived significantly stronger almond odour in VR (P = 0.011). Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry analysis linked these findings to benzaldehyde, a common compound in both vanilla and almond odours. Therefore, a VR space context may impact odour perception, subject to their volatile composition and individual sensitivity. This underscores VR's potential as a ground-based analogue for future sensory research, translating across similar settings beyond the space context.