Remini·scent : An Olfactory Radio to Promote Reminiscence and Combat Loneliness in Aging Adult Populations

Human olfaction is significantly linked to memory, emotion, and learning. As the global population ages, subsequent physical and cognitive decline substantiates a need for more accessible technologies that improve quality of life for older adults. Olfactory disfunction, known to increase with age, is indicative of depression and loneliness, afflictions already prevalent among older communities. Reminiscence therapy presents a unique opportunity to combat loneliness utilizing olfactory cues. Calling on theories of embodied and tangible interaction, this thesis proposes the design of an olfactory radio, leveraging the strong connection between smell and memory to prompt reminiscence while reducing loneliness through the exchange of ‘scent-stories’. Results of the study highlight the potential of olfactory interaction to create meaningful, embodied experiences for older adults while promoting social connection. The paper concludes with a call for more multimodal and tangible approaches to human-computer interaction that better address the bodies for whom we design.