Brief
Researchers unveil Scentronic system to transmit five odors remotely
The prototype uses an e‑nose, machine‑learning classification and a wrist‑band scent generator to share smells online.
By Felo News Desk · Published · Updated
Scientists at Ohio State University have built a prototype called Scentronic that can recognise five everyday odors and reproduce them on a remote wearable device, according to a study published in Science Advances and reported by the Independent.
What happened
The team created an electronic nose (e‑nose) about 15 cm in diameter that houses an array of gas sensors. The device captures chemical compounds from a scent, and a machine‑learning model classifies the odor as one of five pre‑trained categories: beer, cake, coffee, oranges or red wine. Once identified, the information is sent over an online platform to a scent generator, which can be worn as a wristband, necklace or handheld unit. The generator releases fragrance molecules that recreate the original aroma at the receiving end; the scent molecules themselves are not transmitted via the internet.
What the reports add
The Independent notes that the e‑nose is portable but not intended to be worn, while the scent generators are designed for personal wear. It also clarifies that the system currently supports only the five selected odors, chosen because they are familiar and have distinct scent profiles. The article emphasizes that expanding the library beyond these five is theoretically possible, but an unlimited repertoire remains far beyond the present demonstration.
What was said
"In simple terms, it connects 'smelling something here' with 'recreating the corresponding smell somewhere else'," Chunyu Yang, a doctoral student in materials science and engineering at Ohio State and lead author of the study, told the Independent. Yang added, "What makes Scentronic different is that it brings odor sensing and generation together for remote sharing. To the best of our knowledge, our study is the first to explore this integration in a compact platform for remote odor sharing." He also explained the choice of odors: "We chose these because they are familiar everyday odors with different scent profiles, making them useful examples for demonstrating the system." Yang warned that a broader scent library is possible in principle, but an unlimited repertoire is far beyond what has been demonstrated.
How it came about
The research builds on prior work in digital scent technology, aiming to add a new sensory dimension to online communication that already includes visual and audio content. By integrating odor detection and generation in a single, portable system, the team hopes to make remote experiences more immersive, although substantial development is still required to expand the range of reproducible smells.
Key facts
- Scentronic can recognise and remotely reproduce five odors: beer, cake, coffee, oranges and red wine. (independent.co.uk)
- The e‑nose device is about 15 cm in diameter and uses an array of gas sensors. (independent.co.uk)
- The system transmits odor information over an online platform, not the scent molecules themselves. (independent.co.uk)
- Prototype scent generators are available as wristbands, necklaces or handheld units. (independent.co.uk)
- Lead author Chunyu Yang described the system as the first compact platform for remote odor sharing. (independent.co.uk)
Sources
- [1] independent.co.uk — originally reported as “New tech will allow people to ‘send smells’ – but is currently limited to five odours”
