how to convert odour in digital format

[theCheetah]

Is it possible to convert odour (smell) in a digital format. If yes then how? Plz specify some good site links if possible!

 

[dejitaru]

Well, many scientists believe that any scent can be made from a combination of thirteen elements (I'm thinking that one is menthol)
That could be used for output. For input, things get more complex. You would need a sensor capable of detecting a specific chemical and quantizing it.

 

[klah]

There was a company trying to market this technology called Digiscents, but they went out of business in April 2000. They had a product called "iSmell" Here is what the iSmell looked like: http://contourinc.com/images2/prod15.jpg. Read this 5-page article from Wired magazine: www.wired.com/wired/archive/7.11/digiscent.html

 

[zephyrprime]

It's possible in theory and maybe even in fact. The idea is that there are only so many chemical receptors in our nose so if you can identify them, you'd be on your way to digital smell.

 

[wfbberzerker]

i know scientists have been able to recreate most smells using a combination of chemicals (after all, all smells are are the atoms of a particular substance evaporating). so, one way to do it would be to figure out the amounts of certain chemicals that are mixed to create the smell, and then convert this "recipe" into digital format. but to transfer smell directly into digital format, like you can do audio and video, i dont believe this is possible (at least in the immediate future).

 

[theCheetah]

Does anyone have any idea about why Digiscents went out of business. Their product looked promising. I checked at the uspto website, but didn't see any patents filed in their name. Anyone have any idea about their patents.

 

[dkozloski]

Some of us are old enough to remember when somebody rigged up a movie theater to include smells along with surround sound and pictures. It didn't take long to discover that the idea stank.

 

[wfbberzerker]

Originally posted by: dkozloski
Some of us are old enough to remember when somebody rigged up a movie theater to include smells along with surround sound and pictures. It didn't take long to discover that the idea stank.

hehe i remember reading about that kind of stuff

 

[Somecallmetim]

The best way is to have a tester using a device known as a "nose". This "nose" then, through various electronic pulses, dictates to the tester what the odor is. Then through the use of a "keyboard" the tester then inputs this output into a digital format.....

We already have machines that can, in effect, extract the elements in a given sample. from there its just the job of making a large dtatbase of odors the sort through. So I believe we have the machine already, its just that scientests refuse to call it a digital nose.

 

[Mark R]

Smell is a complex sense - there are many thousands of different types of 'receptor' in the nose, each of which is sensitive to a different chemical. The perception of a particular smell is built from the combination of which receptors are stimulated by the chemicals in the scent. In this way smell is different to touch (5 basic types of receptor), and taste (5 basic types).

There is also some degree of genetic variability in the ability to smell, at least certain substances.

While a machine may well end up being able to recgonise major classes of smell, it is unlikely to be able to reproduce the subtleties of smells that allow you to tell a McDonald's apple pie, from that made by your Mother.

 

[Shalmanese]

Originally posted by: Mark R


While a machine may well end up being able to recgonise major classes of smell, it is unlikely to be able to reproduce the subtleties of smells that allow you to tell a McDonald's apple pie, from that made by your Mother.

But surely all you would need to do would have something that could reliably detect hog anus...

 

[dkozloski]

You could use Tom Daschle as the standard test source.

 

[bsobel]

Does anyone have any idea about why Digiscents went out of business. Their product looked promising.

Was that a serious question? An at home smell generator for your PC? Yea, can't you just imagine the lines at BestBuy as users scramble to get one of those....

Bill

 

[rc5]

Most smells are disgusting.