Scientists Working On ''Odor Recording'' Device

Jun 30 2006, 8:00am CDT | by Luigi Lugmayr

Sure, we all don't have time to stop and smell the roses anymore, but with new technology you can now do it remotely. You couldn't expect something like this to come from anywhere but Japan. At the Tokyo Institute of Technology, scientists are working on a gadget that can actually pick up a nearby scent and then "store" it so you can smell it again on demand.

Using a sophisticated chemical-sensing procedure, an object's aroma is translated into a "digital recipe" that can be reproduced later via the 96 chemicals the device has.Tests have been done and the scientists have successfully been able to reproduce the smells of various fruits, from bananas to melons, and can even differentiate between red and green apples.

It's not totally clear what kind of widely commercially-available potential this kind of technology has, but one idea that's floating around is to integrate it with online shopping, so for example when you do your grocery shopping on Amazon, you can smell before you buy.

Via New Scientist

Report Published by: Mark Raby

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Luigi Lugmayr
Luigi is the founding chief Editor of I4U News and brings over 15 years experience in the technology field to the ever evolving and exciting world of gadgets. He started I4U News back in 2000 and evolved it into vibrant technology magazine.
Luigi can be contacted directly at ml@i4u.com. Luigi posts regularly on LuigiMe.com about his experience running I4U.