I can smell my Movie
When I people mention new media most people think the latest technology in interactive and immersive experience such as VR, iPhone, 4K, all technology advancing the digital visual projection. However there advances in other fields of new media and one of them is smell.
New media mostly focus on the senses of sight and sound. Then also some in touch with 4D experience cinemas but there’s little attention into the senses of smell. Which is an odd thing when thinking about immersion, smell is the most rememberable thing to a human, I always know the image when I smell freshly cut grass, so why shouldn’t we do that with film. We can!
In this blog I’m going to talk about the latest advancements in olfaction entertainment.
Feel real
Is the new media technology advancing the immersion of VR. A technological mask that adds on to a VR head set and provides the viewer with your own personal 4D and scented system, giving viewers complete immersion on motion picture mediums. The mask has Bluetooth and EDR for up to 30 feet radius, can be operated continuously for around 4 hour with its own built in battery which is rechargeable. Two adjustable intensity engines to create vibrations and generators to produce hot or cold air, then a switchable water mist emitter. Then last the seven different smells it can vent out.
The device made its debut at GDC San Francisco 2015. The technology was created by a small team of programmers, 3D modellers, designers and engineers, funded on Kickstarter and can be purchase for $249.
However if you want to be even more immersed into your game or film, the company has created a helmet called “Nirvana” the helmet provides a wider field to view your high resolution 3d video, 3D audio system and all inside a comfortable light weight helmet. Plus no cables.
The "Nirvana" has not yet put into commercial production as the product struggles to find funding, though it has been well received by tried and tested my costumers.
"This helmet, combined with the FeelReal mask can provide an excellent and unique VR experience which no other portable VR equipment in the market provides right now"
Metricbuzz 22/02/2017
Visit their website if you wish to learn more.
Nosulus rift
Nosulus rift is a mask device to emit smells while playing the game “South Park The Fractured But Whole” the game is base around a character having the superpower of farts, so Nosulus rift emits those smelly farts to the player. The device is made my UBisoft and is promotional only used at events and conventions.
The mask has a multicoloured LED light display in which will change depending the intensity so the smell. Bluetooth connection, a Nosulus Air pump Burner designed to spread the odour with any loss and two N-fragrant switchable scented capsules, made from light aluminium and will disperse different smells.
From there marketing and the product itself created for the purpose of the game about farts. It's hard to know if the Nosulus Rift was something serious or one big joke. Their website and videos to promote the product seem serious however a underlining feeling that it's simply pulling our leg because its all about smelling a fart.
Visit there website to learn more: http://nosulusrift.ubisoft.com/?lang=en-GB#!/introduction
OPhone
Ophone is the first scent based mobile messaging device. To send scents is via an app called oSnap. Like texting, oPhone is able to send smells. David Edwards at Harvard University Professor at Le Laboratoire, Paris, and his team began developing the device a couple of years ago, the latest model with two cylinders contains 32 scents which can be combined to create 300,000 different smells. To send a smell you must use the app oSnap, take a picture of let’s say some food, tag that scent from the 32 then send it to oPhone.
The nit in commercial use as the Indirgogo campaign to raise $150,000 did not succeed and is only used in certain hotspots around the world. However this all was current in 2014. I yet to hear or know anything in released development.
To learn more visit there Indiegogo page: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/ophone-duo#/
Smelling screen
In 2013 researchers at the University of Agriculture and technology in Tokyo produced a prototype smelling screen. The screen emits oder’s in different corners of the screen being able to provide four different smells at the same time, the screen is believed to the first scent system to be incorporate into a television screen. There has sadly been no advancement or development to make it commercial.
OLORAMA technology
The company produces home and cinema scented systems installations. few years ago dads would reveal in their power when purchasing their new surround sound system with their plasma TV. Now apart of that home entertainment system is B2B. The system is the first wireless device which can transmit various smells and scents into any size room. The website say’s they use essential oils and natural extracts which will disappear rapidly, the system can hold up to 70 scents. The systems comes in a verity of different packs, VR/AR, basic, premiere and VIP. They also made this system to be used in cinemas.
The technology is created by Raul Porcar and took five years of develop. The technology has been widely tested and already been used in movie theatres, museums and advertisement.
But why don't we know!
These only some of the latest advancements in the field of Scented Systems, the concept has been around since 1906. It's believes the first uses of smell during a film was a theatre in Forst City, Pennsylvania used cotton wool covered in rose oil then place infront of an electric fan. From that point on there have been a number of case of using smell to create a immersive atmosphere for the viewers to experience during a film. However the concept is rarely advertised or mentioned in mainstream media. Is this because people don't like the idea of smelling a film, is it too costly to use, or has the technique not been practiced enough to make it an effective story telling tool. This a subject I will investigate further.
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