Olorama scent tech helps VR memory study at KITE Research Institute

Olorama worked with KITE Research Institute at University Health Network on a virtual reality study of smell and memory, presented at the Cognitive Science Society meeting. The research found that object-linked scents improved verbal recall in younger and older adults, suggesting new uses for multisensory digital health tools.

Why it matters: - The study points to a practical way scent could strengthen memory tasks inside virtual reality. - The results may inform future cognitive training and digital health tools for younger and older adults. - The work adds evidence that smell can shape some memory processes more than others.

What happened: - Olorama collaborated with KITE Research Institute at University Health Network on a research project about olfactory stimuli and memory in virtual reality. - The study, “Smell-Enhanced Recall Memory in Younger and Older Adults: Evidence from a VR Paradigm,” was presented at the Annual Meeting of the Cognitive Science Society. - The project was led by Raheleh Saryazdi, in collaboration with Dr. Jennifer Campos and other researchers. - The research examined how object-associated scents inside immersive virtual environments affect memory across age groups.

The details: - The team paired Olorama’s virtual reality scent technology with a Meta Quest Pro headset. - The setup combined visual, auditory and olfactory cues in one immersive experience. - Congruent scents linked to objects significantly improved verbal recall in both younger and older adults. - The scent cues did not significantly affect scene recognition. - A follow-up study tested whether cognitive load changed the effect by comparing single-task and dual-task conditions. - Preliminary results replicated the recall benefit in both age groups. - Cognitive load did not moderate the effect in the follow-up study. - The research was published in the Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the Cognitive Science Society, 48 (2026). - The full citation is: Saryazdi, R., Parikh, P., Islam, R., Pöhlmann, K. M. T., Huang, R., Harris, L. R., Keshavarz, B., Ryan, J. D., & Campos, J. (2026). Smell-Enhanced Recall Memory in Younger and Older Adults: Evidence from a VR Paradigm.

Between the lines: - The findings suggest scent may be most useful when it is tied to specific objects rather than broad scene context. - The lack of a cognitive-load effect in the follow-up study suggests the recall boost may be relatively robust in this setup. - The collaboration also positions Olorama’s platform as a research tool for neuroscience, cognitive psychology and digital health. - KITE Research Institute is a major rehabilitation and health technology center, which gives the work added weight in applied research circles.

What's next: - Olorama said its scent delivery technology can support universities, hospitals and research centers exploring olfaction in immersive digital environments. - The study opens the door to more research on how smell could be used in training, rehabilitation and other VR-based interventions. - Further work will likely test whether the memory benefits hold across other tasks, settings and user groups.

The bottom line: - Smell is emerging as a meaningful layer in virtual reality, and this study suggests it can improve verbal recall across ages without needing added cognitive effort.