A small box, connected to a television, a computer or a games console, will allow you to smell your films and video games thanks to an odor generator.
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This little box called the GameScent will analyze the images and especially the sound environment. As soon as it manages to recognize certain events such as gunshots, screeching tires or a storm, it will automatically generate the corresponding smell so that we can better absorb the atmosphere.
For the moment, the number of events, and therefore scents, remains quite limited. There are only about ten, no more. But the company promises to regularly improve its algorithm and gradually add new smells. The goal is to make films and games even more immersive.
This is not the first time that we have tried to make odorama films since this has existed in cinema since the 1950s. There have been all kinds of experiments like scratching tablets with odors, or perfume sprays hidden on the ceiling or in the seats. Moreover, we still find them in some amusement parks, but the model has never really caught on. The system was, in fact, complicated to install and synchronize with the film, which cost a lot of money.
Artificial intelligence to sense films
Now, thanks to artificial intelligence which can interpret sound and image, we can do it automatically, at home, with a box sold for 180 euros. It works with any movie and any video game.
The question is whether the odorama brings a real plus, and whether it is not a gadget, which risks not finding its audience like the 3D televisions of the 2010s. One thing is certain, however, the sense of smell remains little used by the media, even though there are now high-quality images, 360° sound, vibrating controllers and touch screens. However, it is a sense capable of influencing mood and awakening deep memories.