Researchers developing sniff-based computer controls for the disabled

Our sense of smell helps us enjoy freshly brewed coffee and warns us that we may have a gas leak. However, our ability to sniff aromas may also enable us to do more than assess our surroundings — it may provide a novel way for people to communicate, new findings suggest.

Researchers have created the first device that allows people who are completely paralyzed to control a computer or maneuver an electric wheelchair simply by sniffing, according to their July 27 report in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.