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🔸A team of researchers has developed a handheld device that allows experiences like smelling a garden in virtual reality.
90% of the information sent to our brain is visual. On a purely arithmetical basis, one might think that the other senses are residual. However, the smell has unique properties. To begin with, information from other senses passes through the thalamus, the communication node of the brain. On the other hand, olfactory signals They go directly to the sensory centers that process memory – the hippocampus – and emotions – the amygdala. Without any filter, it amplifies its impact. Paradoxically, an immersive technology like virtual reality has so far included visual and acoustic and tactile aspects thanks to haptic technologies, but The sense of smell is practically unknown. Recent research may change that. This project responds to the name of Miniaturized Olfactory Generators (OG, in English).
How smell develops in virtual reality
🔹At the City University of Hong Kong, they believe their new technology will add an important interface. Enhance sensory immersion in virtual and augmented reality experiences, which can also be used for movies and TV or web browsing. A team of researchers chose a programmable wearable with wireless connectivity. They are currently studying two methods. On one side, a patch with two OGs placed above the lip, and on the other, a mask with nine OGs. Both are lightweight devices that provide an average reaction time of 1.44 seconds between digital signal and odor generation.
🔹In the case of the mask, it is a very complicated model, Hundreds of different scents can be created instantly. In tests, a group of volunteers identified different scents with an accuracy rate of 93%, which would open the door Smell in virtual reality. In fact, experiments offer 4D cinema experiences, virtual reality used for online teaching, or a simple walk in an aromatic garden. Some of the scents achieved include rosemary, pineapple, ginger or freshly made pancakes. But how do they achieve it?
🔹Basically, OGs incorporate a system that heats and cools paraffins. These include various basic aromas that can be combined to achieve the desired effect. According to the researchers, who published their work in the scientific journal Nature Communications, one of the advantages of the prototype is that it allows the aromatic deposits to be replaced as easily as printer cartridges. The next step is to improve response time, reduce size, and integrate more OG to make smell real in VR.
The failures and promises of smell in virtual reality
🔹The Chinese university researchers are not alone in their proposal in this field, which is always oscillating between technological progress and fad. In fact, two decades ago a device called iSmell was offered that promised thousands of scents as a kind of fragrance speaker, but it never came to fruition. However, the confluence of virtual reality and advanced technologies may allow us to bypass the prototype phase to create marketable functional devices. This has been promised by an American company that presented a device to create a smell in virtual reality during the 2023 CES technology fair, and promises to launch it in the coming months.
🔹As for them, they are working on a wearable that can be placed around the neck in a kind of hands-free way – something very cumbersome – that uses a cartridge capable of producing thousands of aromas. The device can connect to smartphones, computers or virtual reality glasses via Bluetooth. In parallel, the company is growing A mobile application that allows you to control a collection of aromas And combine them with musical themes, conceptual art, or other kinds of experiences. The manufacturer is working with video game engine developers such as Unity or Unreal Applications in the entertainment world.
🔹In addition to initiatives related to creating scents in virtual reality, there are new, more practical applications in the here and now. If you want to learn more about the way virtual and augmented reality are changing work environments, we recommend checking out this article about its applications in construction or its potential in managing and maintaining therapeutic infrastructures. Water.
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