Digital Scent Technology Blog

What is Digital Scent Technology?

Digital Scent Technology intends to change the interactive entertainment experience. The idea is to scent-enable movies, games, music, animation, or any digital media. Create a more immersive and captivating environment for your audience. Smell reaches out into a new, visceral dimension, transporting viewers, gamers, and music fans into the realm of the senses. Atmosphere, mood, emotion and characters can all be enhanced with scent.

The Power of Scent…

• makes content extremely immersive and compelling
• creates mood, such as foreshadowing or ambiance
• intensifies emotions, such as fear or love
• establishes place and season
• helps develop characters
• gives a heightened sense of reality

Why is this site here?

Why did you come here?  Most likely for one of two reasons.  You’re either part of the small percentage of people who think this is a great idea and would like to further discuss the research or you think this is some crackpot idea and wanted to see if it was serious or not?  I thought it would be a great place to discuss both sides of the technology, so I’ve posted related Press Releases from the past, and I’ll continue posting related articles and press releases in the future. 

So, what do you think, is this a great inovative feature to enhance your PC experience, or just another scam to get you to buy another accessory for your PC?

I came across this patent that was filed back in 2006:

Title: Digital scent movie projector with sound channel
Document Type and Number: United States Patent 20080043204
Kind Code: A1

Abstract:

A Digital Scent Movie Projector with Sound Channels. Its features include: A Digital Movie Projector, A sense of smell signal converter and a set of scent making devices. A digital movie projector uses a full frequency sound channel as its passageway to transmit sense of smell digital signal or adding a sense of smell digital signal transmission passageway besides the several full frequency and a low frequency sound channel.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–An unorthodox software company has achieved a first in the volatile, rapidly evolving world of computer technology: cutting edge software that allows computer users to enjoy aromatherapy in a variety of scents…through their computer speakers.
 
ScenTeck Technologies released its Scratch-N-Sniff Pro(TM) downloadable software to the World Wide Web last month, and consumer reaction couldn’t be more positive. Scratch-N-Sniff Pro(TM) downloads reached the one million mark in less than a month after their release, and thousands continue to make downloads every day.

“We started with a simple question,” said ScenTeck’s founder and chief scientist, Dr.

The Scenttv.tv community of users and advertisers will be able to literally smell the scent-enabled content of movies, games, commercials, educational curriculum and their own customized scented web pages.

Culver City, CA (PRWEB) March 22, 2007 — The future is here — welcome to the cyberbirth of Scenttv.tv. On March 27, 2007, Scenttv.tv, Inc. will launch its revolutionary Scented Web Broadcast Portal and from that day forward the global communications experience, as we have known it, will be forever changed. www.scenttv.tv delivers an enhanced “multi-sensory” digital experience by providing users the ability to smell content from the world-wide web.

SAVANNAH, GA — A group of Savannahians have teamed up to produce the world’s first scent-enabled music album. Yes, you read correctly. It’s now possible to smell the music you listen to.

The first CD equipped with scent-technology is UNLEASHED by ZAN, who lives and records in Savannah. ZAN and her band play a mix of Pop, Funk Rock and New Age music.

“This is going to revolutionize the music industry,” said Eric L. Winbush, President & CEO of Savannah-based Dadd’s Production Inc. Winbush recorded and produced UNLEASHED for ZAN in his Southside Savannah studio. “When ZAN sings about flowers, you can actually smell the flowers.

Brown University, Providence, R.I. — Whether emotional responses to scent are a product of nature or nurture is a matter of scientific debate. But a Brown University study, published in the current issue of the International Journal of Comparative Psychology, comes down on the nurturing side.

In an experiment that involved computer games and custom-made scents, researchers found that responses to new odors depended on emotions experienced while the new odor was present. If participants had a good time playing the game, they were more likely to report liking the odor they smelled. If they had an unpleasant experience, they were more likely to dislike the scent.

You can already chat, email, download music and watch videos through the internet, but imagine being able to smell fresh seaside air from the heart of the city, or savour the smell of your favourite restaurant’s cuisine while booking a table. It is now possible with the arrival of Britain’s first ‘ScentMail’ facility.

Cable company Telewest Broadband is currently testing new technology that brings a third sense to the internet, allowing you to send and receive any number of weird and wonderful aromas whilst surfing the net.

Smell the love…
Looking for love? Then take a deep breath as online dating takes a new turn.

PLANO, Texas, Dec. 21 — AromaJet.com announced today
that it has demonstrated interactive transmission of Synthesized Smell over IP
(IPsmell(TM)). Using an interactive program that allows for the creation of
aromas by mixing sixteen separate ingredients in 1% increments, Dr. David B.
Wallace, AromaJet’s Chief Technical Officer, transmitted a number of distinct
fragrances from Sidney, Australia to an AromaJet Kiosk at AromaJet’s offices
in Plano, TX. Both Dr. Wallace’s portable computer and the AromaJet kiosk
were connected to the Internet and communicated with each other through
AromaJet’s SmellServer(TM).

Within seconds of sending a fragrance from Dr. Wallace’s computer, the
AromaJet Kiosk received the data required for it to create the aroma.