May I Smell Your Attention: Exploration of Smell and Sound for Visuospatial Attention in Virtual Reality

Abstract

When interacting with technology, attention is mainly driven by audiovisual and increasingly haptic stimulation. Olfactory stimuli are widely neglected, although the sense of smell influences many of our daily life choices, affects our behavior, and can catch and direct our attention. In this study, we investigated the effect of smell and sound on visuospatial attention in a virtual environment. We implemented the Bells Test, an established neuropsychological test to assess attentional and visuospatial disorders, in virtual reality (VR). We conducted an experiment with 24 participants comparing the performance of users under three experimental conditions (smell, sound, and smell and sound). The results show that multisensory stimuli play a key role in driving the attention of the participants and highlight asymmetries in directing spatial attention. We discuss the relevance of the results within and beyond human-computer interaction (HCI), particularly with regard to the opportunity of using VR for rehabilitation and assessment procedures for patients with spatial attention deficits.

Building Embodied Spaces for Spatial Memory Neurorehabilitation with Virtual Reality in Normal and Pathological Aging

“…Interestingly, other sensorimotor cues are being studied for navigation purposes. New solutions use the addition of the auditory and even olfactory system to gain spatial information [15,16] or exploit immersive VR systems to involve body-related information [1]. Importantly, VR provides multisensory experiences of virtual navigation [16,17] and manipulates the environmental information according to needs [15,18].…”

Accessibility in the Metaverse: Are We Prepared?

“…However, research has been developed to implement these stimuli to computer systems. Researches such as [Dozio et al 2021] and [Ranasinghe and Do 2016] discuss the main perspectives and challenges to be explored by the HCI community. Although they are essential for improving the user experience in the metaverse, olfaction and gustation are output stimuli and are unlikely to be used as an alternative for people with disabilities to communicate with computer systems.…”

An Overview of Olfactory Displays in Education and Training

“…However, current digital experiences are primarily based on audiovisual stimulation and involve other sensory stimulation to a lesser extent [87]. Olfactory stimuli, in particular, are widely neglected, although the sense of smell influences many of our daily life choices, affects our behavior, and can catch and direct our attention [6]. Incorporating pleasant and congruent ambient odors into a virtual reality experience can lead to enhanced sensory stimulation, which in turn, can directly (and indirectly through ease of imagination) influence affective and behavioral reactions [82].…”

“…The human olfactory system has between 6 and 10 million receptor cells allowing it to distinguish between 2000-4000 different smells [3], and although the human olfactory system has been described as poor relative to other animals including dogs (e.g., a sheep dog has 220 million receptor cells), it is still very acute [4]. As Doty (2009) [5] and Dozio et al (2021) [6] point out, the olfactory system is greatly underappreciated as a source of information and a way to interact with our environment, despite the fact that it monitors the intake of airborne agents into the human respiratory system, and helps determine the flavor and palatability of foods and beverages. In addition to enhancing the quality of life, the olfactory system warns us of dangers (e.g., spoiled foods, polluted air) and mediates basic elements of communication (e.g., mother-infant interactions).…”