There are currently few ways to reliably and objectively assess olfaction outside of the research laboratory or clinic. Smell training is a promising method for olfactory rehabilitation at home, but further methodological advances might enhance itseffectiveness and range of use. Here we present Exerscent, a portable, low-cost olfactory display designed primarily for uses outside of the laboratory and that can be operated witha personal computer. Exerscent includes RFID tags that are attached to odor stimuli using a sensor box that encodes the odor in order to provide adaptive challenges for the user(e.g. an odor identification task). Hardware parts are commercially available or 3D printed. Instructions and code for building the Exerscent is freely available online(https://osf.io/kwftm/). As a proof of concept, we present a case study in which a participant trained daily to identify 54 odors, improving from 81% to 96% accuracy over 16 consecutive days. Exerscent may be primarily used for olfactory skills development (e.g. perfumery, enology), and rehabilitation purposes (e.g. postviral olfactory loss), butit also allows for other forms of technological interactions such as olfactory-based recreational interactions. We discuss how Exerscent and similar methods might enablewidespread, networked olfactory research in a variety of settings, including homes, elder care facilities and schools.
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