Exploring the Effects of Olfactory Cues and Ventilation on Teleportation-based Navigation in VR

2026-09-26

AI Summary

This study addresses the spatial disorientation commonly induced by teleportation-based navigation in virtual reality (VR), investigating whether olfactory cues and ventilation mechanisms can facilitate place recognition. Utilizing a custom-developed wearable olfactory prototype, two controlled experiments were conducted to systematically evaluate the effects of scent prompts and ventilation duration on place recognition, user experience, and repeated navigation. This work makes the first quantitative assessment of olfaction as a contextual signal providing cognitive support during VR teleportation. Results demonstrate that olfactory cues significantly enhance place recognition performance, while moderate ventilation effectively mitigates residual scent interference and improves usability. However, extending ventilation duration did not further increase the accuracy of repeated navigation.

Abstract

Spatial cognition supports how people interpret spatial relationships and navigate their surroundings. Although vision plays a dominant role, other sensory modalities, including olfaction, may also contribute under limited visual conditions. This paper investigates the role of olfactory cues in location recognition during virtual reality (VR) navigation. We conducted two formal studies using a wearable olfactory prototype. Study 1 examined whether olfactory cues and ventilation influenced users'recognition of encountered locations during \HDY{teleportation-} and dash-based navigation. Study 2 extended this investigation to repeated navigation and examined whether ventilation duration influenced recognition performance and user experience across successive movements. Results show that olfactory cues can support recognition of encountered locations during navigation, while ventilation was associated with reduced residual interference and improved usability. However, longer ventilation did not clearly improve recognition accuracy in repeated navigation. These findings suggest the potential of olfactory cues as contextual signals during VR navigation, while also highlighting the importance of scent management for maintaining perceptual clarity and user comfort.

Problem

• Virtual Reality
• Olfactory Cues
• Spatial Navigation
• Teleportation
• Ventilation

Innovation

• Olfactory Cues
• Virtual Reality Navigation
• Wearable Olfactory Prototype
• Ventilation
• Spatial Cognition