Scientists close to bringing us Smell-O-Vision!

Just when you thought your new HD 3-D TV was the top of the line thing 'till at least then end of next week, somebody has to go out and invent something even better (or maybe, in this case worse depending on what you're watching).

Scientists Might Finally Get Smell-O-Vision Right

How would you like it if your TV could fart? It sounds absurd, but that's what's on the table with Samsung's latest revival of the Smell-O-Vision concept. And this time the tech looks real enough that it might actually happen.

Researchers at UCSD are partnering with Samsung to create a compact device for your TV or phone that can generate thousands of smells. The technology works by using a 100x100 matrix of thin metal wires that heats any one of 10,000 smell-forming aqueus solutions, allowing for 10,000 different smells. The researchers tested two different perfumes, and found that the smells were perceptible up to 30cm away.

While there are absolutely times when the olfactory feedback would be awesome (Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory immediately comes to mind) and times when it would be horrible (the Jackass movies; all porn ever), I kind of get the feeling advertisers would get the most mileage out of it.

Gizmodo


I wonder if we'll have to update our Blue Ray players to something else to accommodate this? I hope it has a feature to turn the smell off when watching certain shows, I sure don't want to watch Smell-O-Vision porn any time soon.

reply to post by FortAnthem


Wow that sounds awesome. When i was 8 years old i went to see Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory at a Manchester theatre. After a prompt from the cast they blew different smells of candy sweets and chocolate through fans at the sides of the hall. I remember it being really cool and added to a great experience. Not too sure about watching something involving bad smells though, maybe Oliver with all the hobos

Most likely, I mean if 3d is the next big thing, that's already being talked of, why not ad smells, etc to it? Also, in Japan it's in the works to not only be able to sense something by smell, sight....but to also be able to feel objects.

reply to post by FortAnthem


They tried something very low tech like this when I was a kid. I remember renting a revenge of the nerds movie where you would scratch and sniff a card when the matching symbol popped up on the screen. It sucked.

I will most likely not be embracing this new technology! I'm still peeved everything is HD now and I can see the skin cells on a news anchors face

You know this is going to lead to the internet smelling like one big fart.

Can you imagine the smells that will come off of those lousy political ads?

I'm sure they'll make them extra stinky when talking about their opponents then switch over to the smell of lilacs and waterfalls when talking about their guy. Talk about manipulating the masses.

The more senses they are able get people to use and to "anchor", the more
control that idiot box will have over people. People will scramble to buy this
crap and then 2 years later it will come out that the scents were made with
some kind of toxic chemical that causes cancer and more narcolepsy.

I got rid of my cable a year and a half ago and I never looked back. Now I use my
television as a very cool, very large computer monitor now. No more fear and bad vibes
blasting at me every time I turn it on. I don't want to look at television let
alone smell it. Good riddance. Kicking television to the curb has definitely improved
my life. I'd highly recommend.

Originally posted by buster2010
You know this is going to lead to the internet smelling like one big fart.

That's the problem; they will probably use this tech only to make fart smells and stuff like that. They won't bother to give us the scent of the great outdoors when watching a nature program but, they sure as hell will make us smell every fart and belch in a comedy movie.

Could you imagine watching a Rocky movie in Smell-O-Vision? With all the sweat pouring off those guys, I think I would rather pass.

I thought up scratch and sniff porno mags.
Unfortunately some gitbag beat me to the patent office.