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Smell is one of the five senses we use to experience the world. It allows humans and other animals to find their food, avoid danger, and even recognize family members. Animals detect smells with olfactory receptors, special proteins that sit on the surface of the nose cells. These interact with odor molecules (small particles that have a smell) and send signals to the brain so the animal can perceive the smell. We know mammals have hundreds of olfactory receptors and can detect tens of thousands of smells, but what about birds? For decades, many people thought that birds did not use smell in their daily lives, but recent studies have shown that birds respond to smell. We show that many birds have a large number of olfactory receptors similar to mammals, strengthening the case for smell playing an important role in the life of birds.
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Design and evaluation techniques for odor mixing
Although smell influences many daily activities, researchers and practitioners have yet to thoroughly understand smells and the interactions involved in smell mixtures. We present work focused on artificially synthesizing odor mixtures, the evaluation techniques to measure the fidelity of such technologies, and the rich application scenarios that materialize with this capability. We highlight our system implementation and design considerations for an olfactory wearable for odor mixing. Then, we outline an approach to assess odor mixing behavior and efficacy, and finally, we discuss possible studies to contextualize the usefulness of our technology.
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- Award ID(s):
- 2202630
- PAR ID:
- 10415996
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Smell, Taste, and Temperature Interfaces Workshop at CHI 2023
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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Accepted Manuscript1.0
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