Electronic Nose Paves the Way for Digital Scent Sharing

How Does the Technology Work?

Researchers at The Ohio State University are developing a new technology that enables scents to be shared online by detecting and reproducing them.

According to the British newspaper The Independent, the technology, known as Scentronic, relies on a device called an “electronic nose” that detects odors and identifies their types. It then transmits the corresponding data over the internet to another device, which releases aromatic substances designed to replicate the original scent. The odor molecules themselves are not transmitted over the internet.

The electronic nose uses an array of gas sensors to detect chemical compounds associated with particular odors. A machine-learning model then analyzes the sensor data to identify the scent.

The device is approximately 15 centimeters in diameter. Although portable, it is not designed to be worn. The researchers have developed several versions of the scent-generating device, including models that can be worn as a bracelet or necklace, as well as handheld versions.

Five Scents at the Current Stage

At present, the system can recognize only five familiar scents: beer, cake, coffee, orange, and red wine. Chunyu Yang, the lead researcher on the study published in the journal Science Advances, said the scents were selected to demonstrate how the technology works, given the diversity of their aromatic characteristics.

Expanding the range of detectable scents will require training the electronic nose to recognize additional odors and providing suitable aromatic liquids to reproduce them. Yang explained that accurately identifying a scent and recreating it are two distinct challenges.

Potential Applications

The technology could eventually allow people to share the aromas of food with friends and family in distant locations. It could also make virtual and augmented reality experiences more immersive and enable online shoppers to sample the scents of certain products before purchasing them.

However, the system remains at the prototype stage and is not yet commercially available. Further development will be needed to improve odor-recognition accuracy, handle mixtures of different scents, and expand the range of odors the device can reproduce.

The scent-generating device also requires further refinement to reduce its size, simplify the refilling of aromatic liquids, lower manufacturing costs, and ensure safety during repeated use.

Could the Technology Be Integrated into Smartphones?

Yang believes that smartphones may eventually be able to connect to external scent-generating devices. However, integrating the technology directly into a smartphone would be more challenging because of the space and weight requirements of the aromatic-liquid reservoirs and electronic components.