The sense of smell is vital in our everyday lives. It is a major component in our sense of taste and has a wonderful ability to create memories and bring them to the forefront of our consciousness. it warns us against danger and affects our mood. It also has quite a bit of influence in our sexual attraction and coupling. In fact, The sense of smell can tell us quite a bit about ourselves.

 

S SENSE is a project that combines design and neuroscience. The project introduces a research on the sense of smell and its uses. Many case studies in this field were gathered into a story of anosmic character, who's never experienced the sense of smell before. First, she learns to smell with odor learning device that operates as biofeedback. Subsequently, she combines smells in her own world and amplifies them by designated pieces of jewelry in order to influence social situations. Moreover, she studies her past by restoration of her memories through smells.

I started the project as a personal research in odor. At the beginning, I tried to experience the world through smells and without them, and I also tried to learn my own smell through a designated mask. I "Recorded" Smells in primitive ways and spread them artificially. Then I tried to neutralize my sense of smell by using blurring "White odor" as if I was anosmic for one day. I created conceptual models for an instrument that would “increase odor”, and for an instrument that will allow you to smell danger/diseases. 

 

 

Credits: 

 

Advisor: Nati Shamia Ofer 

 

The odor learning project was developed in collaboration with the Weizmann Institute of science:

Prof Noam Sobel 

Dr. Sagit Shoshan

Tali Waiss 

 

S sense movie:

 

Research, writer, and director: Omer Polak

Cast: Anosmic character: Ella Barak

Voice: Yasmin Ayoun