UrbanWire

Stop to smell the roses… erm, computer?
By Persis Yeo • UrbanWire
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You know your PC (personal computer) is overworked when you inhale the sick burning stench it produces as a result of overheating. The smell may not be too desirable but what if your PC could replicate the aroma of freshly brewed coffee in the morning? The skeptic in you might just laugh at the idea. Times, however, have changed and technology might once again prove us wrong. Who knows? Your PC might next be able to emit the fabulous smell of Famous Amos cookies just before it burns out on you. Well, at least it might make you feel better. UrbanWire welcomes you to the world of digital smells.

In recent years, technology has been improving in leaps and bounds. We’re used to PCs giving us sound, video and interactivity. Now, PC users can look forward to adding smells on that list.

Is this something new?
Since the 1950s, the film industry tried to recreate scenes with smells to enhance the movie experience. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much research done that revealed the mysteries of the human sense of smell and the scents which were brought into the theatres were so overpowering that the idea was chucked aside.

In a bid to bring back audiences to the movie theatres, Charles Weiss invented the Aroma-Rama & Smell-O-Vision system in 1959. He wanted to bring the movie experience to the audience and to add to the atmosphere by incorporating “Oriental” scents through the air-conditioning system. In fact, since the 1900s, English theatres would spray exotic fragrancess such as lilac water to create an ambience.
How did the idea resurface?

According to an article on www.glencoe.com, Biotechology executives Dexter Smith and Joel Bellenson were having a vacation at Miami’s South Beach when they suddenly had inspiration to create the hardware and software required to digitise and reproduce smells. In fact, their brainwave came from the myriad of smells at South Beach – tanning oil, coconuts, flora and even cocktails with little umbrellas.

Their company was named DigiScents. Once DigiScents got the outline of scent recording and reproduction technology ready, several multimedia companies came knocking on their doors. What came next was simply the execution of the duo’s plans and product marketing.

How does such technology work?
For an analogy. think of your conventional printer. The images are first broken down digitally to the 4 colours(CMYK). Dots in 4 colours are then recombined on the printed page, giving the illusion that the picture is faithfully reproduced.

The same goes for the computer-based smells, although the implementation and technology behind it is relatively complicated.
First it begins with a device that samples a smell and breaks it up to its basic components. The information is then stored for future use. Later, when the user wants to re-create the smell, all the computer has to do is to remix the basic scents in the right proportions to duplicate the original smell.

What are the latest developments?
Presently the idea is to offer more than just sound, video and interaction with websites and any other PC-based programmes by incorporating the sense of smell. However, the ultimate goal for this initiative is to attach the technology to any recording device. For example, when you use a DV-cam (digital video camera) to record someone spraying perfume, you also record the scent’s configuration. Later, not only can you see the images during playback, you can smell the perfume scent too.

Featuring the Original Prototype: iSmell Personal Scent Synthesizer by DigiScents
(no longer available as the company shut down in 2001)

Shaped like a shark’s fin, the prototype of the iSmell Personal Scent Synthesizer is connected to the PC via either a serial or universal serial bus (USB) port. The device can be plugged into any electrical outlet.

What about this
The iSmell could imitate thousands of everyday scents with a small cartridge containing 128 primary odours. These primary odours were mixed together to generate other smells that closely replicate common natural and manmade odours. The scent cartridge, like a printer's toner cartridge, had to be replaced periodically to maintain the scent’s accuracy.

Shaped like a dome, the SENX stands for Sensory Enhanced Net experience and is a 20-channel serial port device that promises one-of-a-kind scent creations for education, aromatherapy, home and personal applications. Users plug the device into an open external COM port on their computers. A DC 6-volt rechargeable battery powers the device.

What about this
This technology-patented product allows users to not only download scents, but to print smells onto thick paper sheets and taste specific flavours by licking the paper coated with the smell.
Like the iSmell, the SENX machine will be activated by user actions. The fragrances and aromas are stored in a disposable cartridge within the SENX. Each cartridge has 20 chambers, each holding a distinct scent; thousands of smells can be created with a 20-chamber cartridge.

To create a more realistic, gaming experience, AromaJet.com created a prototype aroma-generating system, the Pinoke, to add sensory dimension to games. A Pinoke type device could sit next to your monitor, directly in front of the user or even be worn similar to a doctor's stethoscope.

What about this
Like in the iSmell, here digital signals are pre-written into software code that will trigger the aroma generator to emit precise amounts of the appropriate aroma based on the game played. The mohawk atop Pinoke is actually an aroma cartridge, which is simply removed and replaced when the aroma materials are depleted.

“I’ve heard of having water sprayed at you and other special effects happening in theatres. But smells from a computer? I think that may be a possibility.” - Randy Chua, 31, architect.

“I think it would be quite dangerous. Imagine a smell virus! Who knows what hackers might do?” - Teo Yi Ching, 43, housewife.

“I don’t think that is a possibility. It’s just like you can smell what your friend’s mum is cooking when you talk to [your friend] over the phone!” - Lee Hui Min, 16, student, Braddell-Westlake Secondary.

“I think it might happen but I’m not all for it. After all it hasn’t happened in Singapore yet, has it? It’ll be just like our colour printers. It won’t be accurate once 1 colour or smell runs out.” - Li Jian Ming, 22, National Service (NS)man.

“I think it’s a white elephant in the house… it just makes life so much more complicated.” - Michelle Tan, 22, student, National University of Singapore.