Booth Id:
ENBM075
Category:
Biomedical Engineering
Year:
2019
Finalist Names:
Albastaki, Fatma (School: Dubai National School - Al Barsha)
Abstract:
With the evolution of artificial intelligence, Virtual Reality has continuously been appealing in several industries, including education and training. Virtual reality (VR) is an interactive computer-generated experience taking place within a simulated environment, that incorporates mainly auditory and visual, and sometimes haptic senses. To complete the full experience of Virtual Reality, my AVR will implement the sense of smell to the stimulation.
The olfactory system, which senses odors, is vital to our lives. It comprises one of the most primal parts of the brain, the amygdala, which involves our memories, and emotions. With every breath we take, we are also sampling our environment for dangers, food, or other individuals.
The AVR could be used in several different areas, such as in facilities for teaching, as well as training, including military training, medical training, safety training (firefighters, etc..). It will also be used in therapy for those suffering Anxiety, ADHD, PTSD, Autism, and other disorders. Another way the AVR could be used is to improve a person’s dietary habits, by connecting scent to taste, and manipulating people’s interception of food by using unassociated scents.
My AVR will work based on the chemistry of odors, where all odors can be reproduced from seven main odors composed of chemicals, called the primary odors, floral, musky, camphoraceous, minty, ethereal, pungent, and putrid. These primary odors serve a similar purpose in olfaction to that served by the primary colors of vision. Thus, the huge variety of odors we can recognize occur because of the blending of these primary odors, just as many colors can be achieved through mixing different amounts of red, blue and yellow.