Nose Gym: An Interactive Smell Training Solution

Abstract

When was the last time you had your sense of smell checked? Smell is one of the most neglected senses in daily life and in HCI. In Europe and the USA, around 22% of the general adult population has some form of smell dysfunction. This number rises to 75% for people aged between 70-80 years and negatively impacts peoples' quality of life and well-being. Regular smell training can make a difference. Today, smell training is done by sniffing essential oils in jars or scented pens. Based on advances in digital technology, we present a new interactive smell training solution to help people train their nose. At CHI, users will have a chance to try out the scent-delivery device and companion App at the 'Nose Gym' booth. We will combine the interactivity with additional information on the I-smell project that is using this digital smell training solution in a real-world deployment to establish a culture of care for our sense of smell.