Over the course of cinema history, theaters and movie makers have experimented with using smell as a way to enhance the viewing experience. Sometimes called “Smell-O-Vision” or “AromaRama,” this could be in the form of dropping scented odors into a theater or otherwise releasing some sort of odor during live performances.
Now that experience is coming home for streaming experiences as well as to the metaverse from Japanese startup Aromajoin with what it claims is the world’s first scented video platform.
For use in both the streaming of video and for virtual reality (VR)/extended reality (XR) developers for metaverse applications, the AromaPlayer scented platform is powered by the Aroma Shooter that can instantly switch between various scents without any delay or residual effect.
Previously, Aromajoin’s technology was used as an offline standalone application for digital signage, but now the devices can be used in a Google Chrome browser by picking a video from a user’s own library or using a YouTube link. It will also be released as a wearable that can connect to smartphones or VR/XR headsets for metaverse applications.
The scents range from coffee to orange to shampoo and many more. There are hundreds of scents available and Aromajoin is working to expand the scent collection for virtual and immersive experiences.
The scents are placed in individual scent cartridges that work similarly to printer ink. The device fist suctions ambient air that passes through scent particles released from the cartridge to create the scent. Then it sends the air directly toward the user’s nose. This process can be switched quickly without any scents mixing, the company said.
