[Colloquium] Jas Brooks MS Presentation/May 18, 2023

[Megan Woodward]

This is an announcement of Jas Brooks's MS Presentation
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Candidate: Jas Brooks

Date: Thursday, May 18, 2023

Time:  8:30 am CST

Location: JCL 390

M.S. Paper Title: Trigeminal-based Temperature Illusions

Abstract: We explore a temperature illusion that uses low-powered electronics and enables the miniaturization of simple warm and cool sensations. Our illusion relies on the properties of certain scents, such as the coolness of mint or hotness of peppers. These odors trigger not only the olfactory bulb, but also the nose’s trigeminal nerve, which has receptors that respond to both temperature and chemicals. To exploit this, we engineered a wearable device based on micropumps and an atomizer that emits up to three custom-made “thermal” scents directly to the user’s nose. Breathing in these scents causes the user to feel warmer or cooler. We demonstrate how our device renders warmth and cooling sensations in virtual experiences. Participants rated VR experiences with our trigeminal stimulants as significantly warmer or cooler than the baseline conditions. Lastly, we believe this offers an alternative to thermal feedback devices, which unfortunately rely on power-hungry heat-lamps or Peltier-elements.

Advisors: Pedro Lopes

Committee Members: Pedro Lopes, Ben Zhao, and Ken Nakagaki