Thanks to the development of virtual reality and related technologies, we are already quite able to simulate being in virtual space, touching, feeling the volume and weight of virtual objects, and so on. However, the sense of smell is not involved in this process, and smells, meanwhile, play a very important role in our life. But recently, a group of researchers from the international organization IEEE for the first time managed to transfer virtual odors to a person.
The TechCrunch edition writes about the new development. Experts from the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) were able to achieve this goal by stimulating the olfactory receptors.
Experimental setup for testing odor transmission.
In fact, the experiment itself from the outside did not look very aesthetically pleasing, and some participants, according to scientists, having given preliminary consent after they learned what would need to be done during the experiment, refused the event. To implement the plan, a special probe with a camera and electrodes at the end was inserted into the nose. These electrodes stimulated the olfactory zones with currents of varying intensity and frequency. As a result, the method proved to be effective: the participants in the experiment most often described that they smell such smells as the aromas of fruits, sweets, fried meat and wood.
Stimulation of the olfactory zones during the experiment.
Of course, this approach is extremely inconvenient in everyday use, and it is unlikely that in the near future we will receive devices with tubes that we will insert into our noses. However, it turned out that this method works, which means now we need to find out whether it is possible to achieve the same results without causing discomfort to people. In addition, the new method can help patients with olfactory problems to start smelling again.
Vladimir Kuznetsov