This may have never been a question in the first place… If the Ears, Eyes, Mouth and Hands can have devices that train/improve their functionality what does the schnoz get?
As far as I know, there is no such olfactory aid. I’m guessing it’s a matter of necessity: it’s a lot harder to function normally when you suddenly lose your sight, hearing, or a limb. If you lose your sense of smell, well. For most people, it’s not that critical. You just won’t be able to smell or taste things (beyond the sweet/salty/sour/bitter groups).
Another note: I imagine it’s also less feasible. To smell, we pick up tiny microscopic particles. An olfactory aid would have to pick these up and distinguish between them, which would be a rather complex feat. Suddenly you’ve ended up with a large piece of technology stuck on the end of your face.
An article in the September, 1996 issue of Discover Magazine sheds some light on this matter.
Caltech scientists Erik Severin and Nate Lewis built an experimental “electronic nose” out of strips of polymer.
Their site seems to be having some trouble at the moment, otherwise I’d give a cite. But the bottom line to answer your question is, it probably hasn’t been developed yet to the point where artificial sniffers can be made available to the public.
FWIW, if and when they do create prosthetic schnozzes, even with today’s miniaturization technology it shouldn’t be difficult to integrate them into a chip the size of a thumbnail.
Well, there’s not anything that can help those cursed with unsmellocity, there are detectors (most chip-sized even) that can detect odor - look for “electronic nose” or “olfactory detector” on Google.
My WAG is that, since cameras-on-a-chip can currently be grafted on to the retinas of patients, it is theoretically possible to do the same with the olfactory nerves. Whether anyone is going to ever decide this is worth the trouble, I kinda doubt.
Aaaaaaa…chooo! Oh drat. Can someone help me look for… oh never mind.