Research goals:

• Get a better understanding of how humans sense and associate with smell.

• Create a device that will be able to reproduce basic smells.

But why is smell important?

Smell is the only sense that is directly linked to the amygdala. The amygdala is the part of the brain which is closely involved in our feelings. Thus, powerful emotional memories can emerge when triggered by a particular scent. Many of us maybe recall catching a whiff of something that takes us back to a particular time, place and emotional state.

https://s.hswstatic.com/gif/smell-4.jpg

“You have these 10 basic categories because they reflect important attributes about the world – danger, food and so on. If you know these categories, then you can start thinking about basic smells.”

Prof. Jason Castro, of Bates College

Basic Smells:

• Fragrant (e.g florals and perfumes)
• Fruity (all non-citrus fruits)
• Citrus (lemon, lime, orange)
• Woody and resinous (pine or fresh cut grass)
• Chemical (ammonia, bleach)
• Sweet (chocolate, vanilla, caramel)
• Minty and peppermint ( eucalyptus, and camphor)
• Toasted and nutty (popcorn, peanut butter, almonds)
• Pungent (blue cheese, cigar smoke)
• Decayed (rotting meat, sour milk)

Scent dispenser applications:

• Enhance audiovisual experiences.
• Additional sensory information for vision and hearing impaired people.
• Create more immersive spaces.

Atmos, Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia

developed at Masters in Advanced Interaction in 2018 by:

Students: Ioannis Vogdanis

Faculty: Ignacio de Juan Creix