SIMON NIEDENTHAL

Simon Niedenthal is an Associate Professor of Interaction Design at Malmö University in Sweden. His research explores the history and potentials of smell-enabled gaming and the playful uses of scent. Simon's scholarly writings in the area of olfaction include 'Skin Games: Fragrant Play, Scented Media and the Stench of Digital Games' and 'Vile Perfume: The Future of the Zombie in the Smellscape of Gaming'. He has also written about the experience of sensory boundaries in motor racing and fireworks games.

Simon’s educational background is eclectic: he holds a B.F.A. in photography, an M.A. in Medieval English literature, and a Ph.D. in Interaction design. In 2008 he defended his Ph.D. thesis 'Complicated Shadows: the Aesthetic Significance of Simulated Illumination in Digital Games', in the area of game lighting and its effect upon the emotions and behavior of the player.

Simon is currently engaged in 'Nosewise', a Stockholm University research project which aims to investigate the potential of smell-enabled gaming to enhance cognitive capacity in the elderly.