Enhancing the Eating Experience of Anosmic Patients through AR Games

Olfaction is one of the essential ways humans perceive the world, influencing not only our gustatory experiences but also playing a crucial role in emotional and memory formation. Anosmia, or the loss of the sense of smell, can lead to a diminished awareness of one’s surroundings, significantly increasing the risks in daily life. Unlike traditional olfactory training methods, this paper explores the use of Augmented Reality (AR) technology to provide a more immersive and personalized experience by visualizing odor molecules through a designed AR-based virtual game. The study aims to investigate effective approaches for enhancing the eating experience of patients with anosmia using AR technology. This multi-sensory approach intends to rebuild patients’ cognition of smells and rekindle their interest in food, thereby alleviating psychological stress. The experimental results are obtained using a quantitative method to test various metrics during the sensory compensation process through AR games, with data being recorded and analyzed.