Smell and reality

Sharing the experience of a campfire with someone.

While talking to a friend regarding virtual reality, I found the most disturbing thing about it was the absence of smell. I associate a lot with reality based on smell. I love visiting gardens, monuments all have their distinct smell. I love books and coffee, and things that have their particular aroma, which makes them so much more real. And I was super disturbed about the idea of meta verse and not being able to communicate to the other person in a room somewhere else, the exact concoction of smell I am experiencing. And I so I researched a little about it and am sharing the same.

Around sense of smell

Did you know that the human nose can detect over 1 trillion different scents? Our sense of smell is closely tied to our memories and emotions and is thought to be one of the most powerful of the five senses. It’s estimated that around 75% of our emotions are influenced by what we smell. Some research has even suggested that our sense of smell may be more sensitive than that of many other animals, including dogs. This also goes for while creating a special memory, try using the same smell, that smell will always take you back to that place. It also makes sense to have a particular perfume for yourself, so people always associate you with that smell.

The nearby jasmine tree, or the coal factory. How to tell you what the mixture of it feels like?

Sensors to detect the aroma

There are man-made sensors that are designed to detect odors or chemicals in the air. These sensors can be used in a variety of applications, including environmental monitoring, industrial processing, and consumer products. There are several different types of odor sensors, including metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) sensors, chemical sensors, and biosensors.

MOS sensors are made from thin layers of metal oxide materials, such as tin oxide or zinc oxide, which are sensitive to certain gases and vapors. When exposed to an odorant, the electrical resistance of the metal oxide changes, allowing the sensor to detect the presence of the odor.

This is backwaters, this doesn’t smell like the sea. Neither does it have the smell of fresh water.

Chemical sensors are based on chemical reactions that occur when a substance is exposed to a target gas or vapor. These reactions can cause a change in the electrical, optical, or mechanical properties of the sensor, which can be used to detect the presence of the target substance.

Biosensors are sensors that use biological materials, such as enzymes or bacteria, to detect specific chemicals. The biological material is immobilized on a surface, and the presence of the target chemical causes a change in the activity of the biological material, which can be measured by the sensor.

Overall, man-made sensors have made it possible to detect and measure odors and chemicals with greater sensitivity and accuracy than was previously possible.

Virtual reality and smell

It is possible that virtual reality technology could be developed to include the sense of smell in the future. Currently, virtual reality technology primarily relies on visual and auditory stimuli to create immersive experiences. However, the sense of smell is closely tied to memory and emotion, and some researchers believe that incorporating the sense of smell into virtual reality could enhance the realism and immersion of the experience.

I know you can hear the waves. I know you can see the flashes of the day go by. But it bothers me, that we can’t share the memory of air. Or even remember it during a dream.

Several approaches have been proposed for adding the sense of smell to virtual reality. One approach is to use special devices that can release odors into the air in response to events or stimuli in the virtual world. These devices could use a range of techniques to create and release the odors, such as using essential oils or heating fragrant materials.

Another approach is to use electrical stimuli to stimulate the olfactory nerve directly, bypassing the need to create and release actual odors. This approach is still in the research stage, but some studies have suggested that it may be possible to use electrical stimuli to create the perception of odors in the brain.

It’s worth noting that adding the sense of smell to virtual reality would be a significant technical challenge, and it’s not clear when or if this will be possible. However, it is an area of active research, and we may see significant progress in the coming years.