Development and Study of Ezzence: A Modular Scent Wearable to Improve Wellbeing in Home Sleep Environments

Abstract

Ezzence is the first smartphone-controlled olfactometer designed for both day and night conditions. We discuss the design and technical implementation of Ezzence and report on a study to evaluate the feasibility of using the device in home-based sleep environments. The study results (N = 40) show that participants were satisfied with the device and found it easy to use. Furthermore, participants reported a significant improvement in sleep quality when using the device with scent in comparison to the control condition (p = 0.003), as well as better mood the following morning (p = 0.038) and shorter time to sleep onset (p = 0.008). The device is integrated with a wearable EEG and real-time sleep staging algorithm to release scent during specific sleep stages (N1, N2, N3, and REM), which is important for certain use cases (e.g., to study the effect of scent on REM dreams, or to improve memory consolidation with a re-exposure of scent during N2 and N3). Ezzence can be used for several applications, including those that require scent triggered day and night. They include targeted memory reactivation, longitudinal health treatments, therapy, and mental or physical exercises. Finally, this article proposes an interaction framework to understand relationships between scents and environments based on proxemic dimensions and passive or active interactions during sleep.

Reciprocal relationships between sleep and smell

“…However, shorter odor exposure may also affect sleep. In a pilot feasibility test of a smartphone-based olfactometer that can release scent after the phone detected sleep onset based on movement, subjects reported a significant subjective increase in sleep quality in the odor condition compared to no-scent condition ( Amores et al, 2022 ).…”

Skin-Integrated Wireless Odor Message Delivery Electronics for the Deaf-blind

“…Then, the operational stability and repeatability of the OG were proved through the cyclic test for over 20 h. Through the operational performance tests and electrical power and structural dimension optimization of the OG, the superiority of the reporting OG over the reported or commercialized olfaction interfaces was certainly revealed (Table S1). ,− Compared to the reported smell-generating devices, the OG was apparently lightweight, small, wirelessly operated, and flexible, making it suitable for skin-integrated applications. At the same time, it presented a relatively rapid response time and a wide variety of odor options (24 in total) for achieving fast reactions against stimuli and high smell-generating efficiency.…”

Deploying a Robotic ride-on Car in the Hospital to Reduce the Stress of Pediatric Patients before Surgery

“…While the initial investment in these innovations would be signifcant, the open-sourced nature of the used technology (e.g. technologies used for the seatbelt [7] and fragrance [1] interventions) allows for potential cost savings, improvements, and broader accessibility.…”