A collaboration between Stockholm University and Malmö University has led to the creation of a new technology that allows people to smell in a virtual reality (VR) environment. The new machine, called an olfactometer, can be printed on a 3D printer.
The research was funded by the Marianna and Marcus Wallenberg Foundation and published in International Journal of Anthropology – Computer Studies.
Jonas Olofsson is a professor of psychology and research project leader at Stockholm University.
“We hope that the possibilities of new technologies will make scent play an even more important role in game development,” Olofsson said.
Development of fragrance machines
Computer games have traditionally focused on what we can see, such as moving images on a screen, rather than any other senses. But that’s changing. An interdisciplinary research team has developed a scent machine that can be controlled by a gaming computer. Participants move around the virtual wine cellar, picking up virtual wine glasses filled with different types of wine. Participants did so while guessing the aroma.
The scent machine is connected to the controller of the VR system. When the player lifts the glass, it releases a scent.
Simon Niedenthal is an interaction and games researcher at Malmö University.
“The possibility of smell shifting from passive to more active in the gaming world paves the way for the development of new smell-based game mechanics based on player actions and judgments,” Niedenthal said.
The structure of the olfactory meter
The olfactometer has four different valves, each connected to a channel. The center contains a fan that draws air into the duct. The computer enables the player to control four channels that open to varying degrees and provide different scent mixes. Scent blends mimic the complexity of real wine, and the game has different levels of difficulty depending on the complexity.
“Like a normal computer game, the harder the game is, the better the player becomes; the scent game can also challenge players who already have sensitive noses. This means that scent machines can even be used to train sommeliers or perfumers,” Orlov Sen said.
The team has posted all the code, blueprints and instructions for the machine online, as well as the code for the virtual tasting game. The research team now hopes that scented computer games can expand their applications.
“For those who have lost their sense of smell following COVID-19 or other reasons, for example, new technology could mean the opportunity to regain their sense of smell with the help of game-based training,” Olofsson said.
“I hope the fact that the drawings and code are publicly available as ‘open source’ will open up opportunities for gaming companies to start using new technologies to create new commercial products for scent training,” he continued.
Simon Niedenhal said the open-source aspect of the technology helps facilitate accessibility, reproducibility and comparison of results. It also helps build research and design communities in game development.
“But it also means that the cost of the device is much lower and more people can use it. For us, that’s important,” Niedenthal said.
“We believe in open science, research results should be available to the public, and other researchers should be able to replicate our results. With the help of our research, others can build smell machines and explore new ways to use smell in games,” Olofsson added.