Suggest edit — smell resetter

Title

Name

Note

---
first_captured: 2025-08-31
sources:
- sources/apple-notes/archived/smell-resetter.md
- sources/apple-notes/archived/build-notes.md
- sources/google-sheets-ideas.md
status: explored
tags:
- hardware
- research
- olfactory
- science
title: smell resetter
type: idea
updated: 2026-04-10
visibility: public-edit
---

# smell resetter

a device to combat olfactory fatigue — the phenomenon where you stop smelling things you have been exposed to for a while. the personal motivation: having a cat and wanting to know what the house smells like to visitors.

extensive research was done on the mechanism: Ca2+ ions flood olfactory receptor neurons causing depolarization, and a balancing feedback loop prevents overstimulation. coffee beans as palate cleansers are disputed. key finding: retronasal delivery (through the mouth) shows almost no olfactory adaptation compared to orthonasal delivery (through the nose), which is a significant insight for device design.

the BubblEat paper proposed retronasal delivery via bubbles that pop in the mouth. existing work covers molecule detection, smell mapping with GNNs, and electronic noses. conclusion from research: "people already know about all this — the reason its not widespread is that it was recent or too hard/annoying to actually make it."

aromatherapy has mixed evidence. the strongest potential application would be continuous injection of alertness/focus-promoting scents, but this remains unproven. connects to the [[sensor-capturer|sensory capturer]] as part of the broader sensory technology interest.

**spreadsheet evaluation:** listed in "best" picks as "build a necklace pendant or something that is really good at classifying different smells, describe it to people whose smelling gets bad." tech depth 7/10, labeled [WRONG FIT] for the olfactory fatigue device variant ("hardware project, interesting but niche"). the classification/necklace angle is different from the resetter angle — one classifies what is present, the other resets your perception of it.

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## timeline

- [2025-08-31] evaluated in build-notes — "will learn so much, some people will care (?)"
- [2025-09-26] discussed with evan wang — "what problem are you solving? seems like something just because its cool"
- [2025-09-26] deeper research on olfactory fatigue mechanisms, retronasal vs orthonasal delivery
- [2026-04-10] google sheets evaluation — listed in "best" picks (smell classification necklace), [WRONG FIT] for olfactory fatigue device