Sit back, relax, and sniff some lavender!: Investigating the Impact of Scent on Passengers in Air Taxis

Abstract: Air taxi services (ATS) have emerged as a potential solution to tackle congestion and pollution issues associated with traditional taxis. However, the perception of passengers on innovative experiences remains under-studied. Extensive literature has established that scents possess a strong influence on human emotions and can contribute to relaxation. To bridge this research gap, we adopted the Wizard-of-Oz Study method, widely employed in human factors research, to investigate (1) the scent preferences of individuals regarding ATS and (2) the influence of scents on passengers in air taxis. We show that there was a statistically significant difference between male and female responses to lavender(p<0.001*) and peppermint(p=0.001*) flavours in liking. However, males and females responded statistically significantly differently in terms of relaxation only to peppermint scent(p=0.042*), and not to lavender(p=0.063). Our findings have the possibility to provide a guide to the development of experience design on the ATS.

Keywords: Scent, Air taxi, Passengers, Wizard of Oz, User experience, User interface.

DOI: 10.54941/ahfe1004686

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