Smell Above All: Where the Nose Meets Technology
Fifth Sense was delighted to be part of the recent ‘Smell Above All: Where the Nose Meets Technology’ event, where over 100 people from around the globe celebrated the achievements of the Smell Care Project led by Prof Marianna Obrist and her team at University College London (UCL).
The event included discussions, live demonstrations, and key insights from participants, academics, clinicians, and industry partners.
The Smell Care Project
The Smell Care Project was a feasibility study to explore how participants engaged with a digital smell training device in their homes which they used in daily mindful smelling exercises.
This included people who had experienced smell loss and distortions.
Fifth Sense has been a partner on the project, providing ongoing input and support, including recruiting project participants, the majority of whom were Fifth Sense members.
The results of the study showed high levels of engagement, with 74% of participants remaining involved until the end of the trial period, some of whom reported that their sense of smell improved during this time.
Feedback from participants also showed that the device, developed by OW Smell Made Digital:
- Helped develop a smell testing routine that integrated into daily life
- Aided recovery by allowing progress to be tracked and improvements observed
Furthermore, participants felt that taking part in the project was important, given the relative lack of research into helping people living with these unrecognised and marginalised health issues.
The Smell Care project was funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) as part of UKRI and the National Institute of Health and Care Research (NIHR).
Fifth Sense and the Smell Care Project
Fifth Sense CEO and Founder, Duncan Boak, gave a talk at the event. Commenting on how the research findings can be used to influence key decision makers, he said: “The project has highlighted several ways in which routine smell training and monitoring has the potential to make a difference to people affected by olfactory dysfunction.
“This further confirms my belief that there is an urgent need for the NHS and policymakers to recognise the impact smell and taste disorders have, particularly to health, wellbeing and safety.”
Duncan went on to thank everyone involved for their valuable contributions, including Prof Marianna Obrist and her team at University College London (UCL) who Fifth Sense will continue working with to build on the success of the project.
Amongst the attendees was Fifth Sense volunteer, Ged, who lost his sense of smell following a head injury.
Ged supported our team on the day and engaged with delegates, sharing his experiences about the impact losing this sense has on him to enable professionals to better understand the challenges.
Find out more about the Smell Care Project here