Smells Like Fire: Exploring the Impact of Olfactory Cues in VR Wildfire Evacuation Training

2026-04-08

AI Summary

This study addresses the limitations of current virtual reality (VR) wildfire evacuation training, which often fails to fully engage users’ sense of immersion and preparedness due to the absence of olfactory cues. To bridge this gap, the work proposes the first systematic integration of smoke odor feedback into a VR wildfire evacuation simulation, creating an interactive training environment enriched with olfactory stimuli. Experimental results demonstrate that the inclusion of smoke scent significantly enhances users’ sense of presence and immersion, with all participants reporting heightened readiness for real-world wildfire evacuations following the training. These findings underscore the critical role of olfactory cues in improving the efficacy of VR-based emergency preparedness interventions and establish a novel paradigm for multimodal, immersive safety education.

Abstract

This paper presents a pilot study exploring the effects of an olfactory stimulus (smoke) for a Virtual Reality game designed to support wildfire evacuation preparedness. Participants (N=18) were split evenly into either a smoke or a control condition, and both completed the same evacuation task. Post-task surveys assessed the participants' perceived preparedness and overall experience. Initial findings suggest participants in the smoke condition reported significantly higher immersion compared to those in the control condition. Across both groups, participants expressed an increased sense of preparedness for real-world wildfire evacuations following the experience.

Problem

• olfactory cues
• virtual reality
• wildfire evacuation
• immersion
• emergency preparedness

Innovation

• olfactory cues
• virtual reality
• wildfire evacuation training
• immersion
• multisensory simulation