DIGITAL SCENT
& TASTE
INTRODUCTION
A five senses mobile device
Mobile devices have become part of our lives and the accessibility of mobile technology has had significant impact on education and students’ learning. Immersive experiences with high quality visualization and audio, in combination with interactivity provided by the smartphone has given students an nontraditional method of learning. So far, mobile devices (tablets, VR/AR and smartphones) are audiovisual and tactile. What happened to the smell and taste sense?
Audiovisual multisensory integration is significant in immersive game experience. Odors are linked to cultural meanings, emotions and memories, providing an even more enriching immersive experience (Olofsson et at., 2017).
THE
CHALLENGE
Can we digitalize these scents and tastes so they can be electronically transmitted to our mobile devices?
When it comes to our mobile devices and our senses, it all comes down to audio-visual and tactile. The sense of taste and smell have been neglected. These days, the only way for us to describe a scent or taste would be via a vivid description of it.
The sensation of taste and smell are produced when substances react to the taste or olfactory receptors. These chemicals cannot be easily digitized. Studies have been conducted using 'Thermal Taste Interface' by modifying the tongue's temperature producing different types of tastes. Also, electrical pulses have been applied through the nostrils to stimulate the olfactory receptors creating smell simulations.
THE WHY
The digitizing of smell and taste can provide even more realistic experiences.
The use of additional senses as taste and smell can increase the user’s experience leading to an even more realistic immersion. Why is this important? From an education experience, the recreation of “realistic” environments by mobile devices can increase the user interaction of the user’s body and multi-sensorial input hence increasing learning effectiveness (Fowler, 2014). Studies have shown that odors might be unconsciously remembered without being aware of the learning moment. These recollections might be triggered by knowledge on the odor. Flavor is usually connected with emotions and memories, enriching ones everyday life experiences.
You've got a smell
Have you watched a cooking video and wonder how the food tasted? Wouldn’t you want to know how the chocolate cookies out of the oven smell? If you live in a city, wouldn’t you once in a while like to smell the scent of nature?
WHAT IS OUT ON THE MARKET
THOSE WHO TRIED
Throughout the years several companies such as Smell-o-Vision, DigiScents iSmell, Scentee, oPhone have tried to do create/ digitize scent but the technology is not there YET. Electronic and mobile devices have not reached the point where they can stimulate all five senses. Additionally, there has not been much investigation on virtual taste. Below are some videos on what is on the market on digitizing smell and taste.
SCENTEE
Phone attachment. Portable, but it is only limited to certain aromas and different cartridges need to be purchased for different scents.
oPhone
Phone accessory. Not portable. It can produce more than 365 scent combinations but it requires for scent received to have the same device.
AROMYX
Aromyx uses these receptors in biosensors to recreate a digital form or smell and taste for different applications. However, it has not produced a cellphone friendly device.
DIGITAL FLAVOR
Digital Flavor Interface (prototype). Not portable. At its early stages. Hygiene concerns.
THE POTENTIAL SOLUTION
SO FAR
The solution so far, has been the use of additional accessories that can be connected to electronic devices to recreate aromas. However, it is not practical. Other devices include cartridges that carry chemicals that would recreate the desired aroma.
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LIMITATIONS
From the video above Digital Flavor Interface video, the device has its limitations. It is at its early stages and it is not "mobile" or practical.
Health hazards:
The major issue is that the stimulation of electric and thermal test for taste needs users to place their tongue on silver plate, which might cause the tongue to burn and it also raises hygiene concerns. Similar to the stimulation of electric and thermal test for taste, the electric smell simulations has its limitations because it requires users to allow the insertion of electrodes into their nose.
THE FUTURE
Vision:
To develop a portable, smaller and wearable device that can receive and transmit taste and scents. If possible, to have it built in within the smartphone as they have done with the radio/music player, the video and photo camera. Digitilizing smell and taste would open up new opportunities for the creation of new apps. It will take communication to a new level. The sharing of multi-sensory experience will provide new opportunities to the entertainment, medical, gaming and communication industry to name a few.
Some industries that could benefit from it:
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Companies that would like to provide a ‘sample’ of their new product.
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Consumers can have the option of ‘taste or smell’ before purchase.
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Medical field; diabetic patients could have a taste of sweets without raising their blood sugar.
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Smell and taste what is shown on a DIY video.
ABOUT
My name is Silvia and I am a Mandarin Chinese. I enjoy teaching students of all ages and from five-year-old children to eighty-year-old grandparents. In the education sector, technology has been a great enabler, both in terms of making learning more personalized and as well as making quality education more accessible and affordable. Learning can be fun and technology facilitates it. The use of apps changes the students’ attitude towards learning, boosting their speed and performance.
REFERENCES
Cheok, A. D., Karunanayaka, K., SpringerLink (Online service), & SpringerLINK ebooks - Computer Science. (2018). Virtual taste and smell technologies for multisensory internet and virtual reality (1st 2018 ed.). Cham: Springer International Publishing. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-73864-2
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Fowler, C. (2014). Virtual reality and learning: where is the pedagogy? British Journal of Educational Technology, 46(2), 412-422. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjet.12135
Harrison, C. (2019, March 19). Aromyx Overview [Video file]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/4iNSqQ71oMs
Olofsson, J. K., Niedenthal, S., Ehrndal, M., Zakrzewska, M., Wartel, A., Larsson, M., . . . School of Arts and Communication (K3). (2017). Beyond smell-O-vision: Possibilities for smell-based digital media. Simulation & Gaming, 48(4), 455-479. doi:10.1177/1046878117702184
Olmos-Raya, E., Ferreira-Cavalcanti, J., Contero, M., Castellanos, M. C., Giglioli, I. A. C., & Alcañiz, M. (2018). Mobile virtual reality as an educational platform: A pilot study on the impact of immersion and positive emotion induction in the learning process. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 14(6) doi:10.29333/ejmste/85874
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Ranasinghe, N. (2017, July 20). Digital Flavor Interface (Electric taste and smell sensations) [Video file]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/WYPhWPLe75Y
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Ranasinghe, N., Suthokumar, G., Lee, K., & Do, E. Y. (2015). Digital flavor: Towards digitally simulating virtual flavors. Paper presented at the 139-146. doi:10.1145/2818346.2820761
Tosti H. C. Chiang, Stephen J. H. Yang, & Hwang, G. (2014). An augmented reality-based mobile learning system to improve students’ learning achievements and motivations in natural science inquiry activities. Educational Technology & Society, 17(4), 352-365.
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The Japan Times. (2013, October 16). Scentee — Scent attachment for smartphones [Video file]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/80b-9epFPE0
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Vapor Communications. (2014, June 16). Introducing oPhone (French subtitles). [Video file]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/vIxzqMU9UrE