Smelling in a VR World is Now Possible. Thanks to New Gaming Technologies

When the player lifts the glass, the little scent machine emits a scent

Computer games have always centered mostly on what we can see—moving pictures on screens. There haven't been any additional senses. However, a multidisciplinary research team from Stockholm University and Malmö University has created a scent machine that can be controlled by a gaming computer. The player of the game explores a virtual reality world having a virtual wine cellar, picking up virtual wine glasses filled with different wines and commenting on their aromas. When the player lifts the glass, the little scent machine, which is connected to the VR system's controller, emits a scent.

According to Simon Niedenthal, "the ability to move on from a reactive to a more active sense of scent in the game environment paves the door for the development of totally new smell-based game mechanics depending on the players' actions and judgments."

Four separate valves, each connected to a channel, make up the olfactometer. A fan in the center draws air into a tube as it rotates. The four channels can be opened to varying degrees and supplied with various smell mixes by the player using the computer. Fragrance combinations can simulate the intricacy of a real wine glass. With rising levels of complexity, the game's difficulty varies.

"Players who already have sensitive noses may find the smell game challenging, similar to how a traditional computer game gets harder as you get better at it. Thus, wine tasters or perfumers can be instructed using the smell machine "Jonas Olofsson declared.

The virtual wine-tasting game's source code is also publicly available online, along with all of the machine's schematics and operating instructions. The Sensory Cognitive Interaction Laboratory, a study team at Stockholm University's Department of Psychology, is now hopeful that scented computer games can find value in other contexts.

According to study team leader Jonas Olofsson, "for those who, for instance, lost their sense of smell during COVID-19 or for other reasons, the new technology can provide an opportunity to restore their sense of smell with the aid of game-based training."

Doctors sometimes prescribe scent training to patients who lose their sense of smell as a result of colds and other infections, but according to Jonas Olofsson, many individuals stop because it gets dull.

Jonas Olofsson expresses his expectation that the fact that the drawings and code are publicly accessible as "open source" will present a chance for game developers to begin developing new, profitable products for smell training utilizing the new technology.

Simon Niedenthal asserts that "open source" encourages accessibility, reproducibility, and comparison of research findings. Additionally, it helps to establish a strong research and design community inside the game development industry.

"It also implies a significant decrease in the price of the equipment, making it more accessible and affordable for more individuals. That is remarkable to us", Simon Niedenthal says.

"We support open science, the publication of study results, and the replication of study results by other researchers. Our finding will enable others to create smell machines and investigate cutting-edge strategies for utilizing fragrance in video games, "said Jonas Olofsson.