Development of a Portable, Multichannel Olfactory Display Transducer

Abstract

A note on versions:The version presented here may differ from the published version or, version of record, if you wish to cite this item you are advised to consult the publisher's version. Please see the 'permanent WRAP url' above for details on accessing the published version and note that access may require a subscription.For more information, please contact the WRAP Team at: wrap@warwick.ac.uk Sensors-21054-2018 1  Abstract-In this paper we report on the development of a simple, yet innovative multi-channel olfactory display. Unlike other sensory stimuli (specifically sight and sound), digital olfactory technology has yet to have wide-spread commercial success. Our proposed system will release up to 8 different liquid phase aromas (essential oils) using a thermal mechanism. The unit contains a speed controlled fan, temperature control of the heating element and a gas sensor to provide feedback to inform the release rate. It can be connected (via Bluetooth LE) to a tablet/computer to control the timing and intensity of the aroma. External measurements show that aromas can be detected within a few seconds of release and produce a broad range of intensities from low ppm to 10's of ppm.Index Terms-Aroma generator, digital olfaction, olfactory display. I. INTRODUCTIONHE field of olfaction has remained one of the most underdeveloped technological areas in our modern digital world. Though there have been significant advances in the way that information is presented to us as digital users -be it through visual or audio means, olfaction still appears to be a technology of the future. The reasons for this are complex and potentially associated with a mixture of factors, including the dominance of our other senses, poor training of the population in olfaction and a feeling that it is not an important sense. However, olfaction has the ability to enrich visuals and provide easier access to parts of our brain associated with, for example, long term memory [1].The potential applications for olfactory technology are significant and range from medical applications to virtual reality (VR). This could include helping with anxiety/stress or in the diagnosis of degenerative disorders such as Parkinson's disease. In tourism/museum environments, smells can be used to compliment sound and vision effects of historical sites to relive the past. Other applications include VR and multimedia to enhance gaming, television entertainment and beyond. There have even been attempts to create communication protocols based on gas phase chemical transmission instead of electrical [2]. Considering these applications, it is surprising that olfactory displays are not common throughout society and found in every home. There are a number of potential reasons for this, but one major gap is the lack of a simple, robust digital olfactory technology. These technologies should not be confused with most existing aroma approaches, such as air fresheners, perfumes (with paper smelling strips) or even candles, but are distinct in being able to provide a ra...

Aroma Release of Olfactory Displays Based on Audio-Visual Content

“…Another study [21] proposed a thermal/heating approach to distribute scents from generation of the olfactory aromas. The device unit was built to hold eight aroma dispensers; each one containing a capillary tube, speed control fan, gas sensor to measure the release rate, and temperature to control the heating elements.…”

Towards Smart Gaming Olfactory Displays

“…Once an ingredient was placed in the virtual pan, the system released the corresponding smell making the game more realistic [12]. Researchers in [13] developed an olfactory display that can be controlled by a tablet. The display uses heat and (a thermometer to control it) to release the perfume and a speed-controlled fan to push it to the environment.…”

Automatic Association of Scents Based on Visual Content

“…It is mainly due to the slow advancement especially in emitting the scents when needed, and hence failing to integrate the smells with many software applications [5]. Moreover, the absence of a simple and robust device that can emit the scents hinders using smell compared with the visual and auditory sensory modalities [6]. The device which is responsible for delivering the scents to the user during such experiments is called olfactory display.…”