One of the missing pieces of the virtual reality puzzle is aroma, but at CES 2024 in Las Vegas, Japanese startup Aromajoin showed off a wearable device that may be up to the task. just folded Wearable aroma puller, this neckband houses six replaceable aroma cartridges and is controlled by a mobile device or PC via Bluetooth, Wi-Fi or USB. The product is still in its infancy and the Kyoto-based company is targeting developers and commercial customers, who can choose from a library of "hundreds" of scents, or even custom scents from, for example, fragrance brands, to suit your needs.
In the Aromajoin demo, a video player app was programmed to cycle through those six scents (lavender, blueberry, shampoo, caramel, smoke, and fresh-cut grass) to match the six scenes in the short clip. Although I was watching what would otherwise be a normal video on an iPad, the aroma definitely increased the immersion, and I can imagine this will have an even greater impact when combined with virtual reality.
For CES, Aromajoin only had a demo available, but the app showed how any video clip could be programmed to activate certain cartridges (yes, you can have multiple scents at any time) at certain times. You can also adjust the intensity of each scent, which was helpful as I initially found the weed smell to be too strong. As for the neckband itself, it weighs around 300 grams, but I didn't feel much of a burden thanks to its ergonomic shape around the collarbone area.
Aromajoin plans to launch its Aroma Shooter Wearable through crowdfunding in May, and it is expected to ship later this year. The target price for the device is around $350, and each aroma cartridge will likely cost around $30. Each cartridge should last around 3,000 shots or up to three months, although this depends on the strength and nature of each mixture.
Aromajoin also applied the same video demonstration to a larger setup called Aromatic speaker 60, which is aimed at retailers, movie theaters, and VR arcades. As the model name indicates, this pair of towers can be equipped with up to 60 scents, with each of the 10 chargers housing six scents, supporting a wider range of scenes or use cases. The Aroma Speaker 60 will also be released through crowdfunding, but is expected to cost much more than its neckband counterpart.
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This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-aroma-shooter-wearable-blasts-scents-while-you-watch-videos-180006793.html?src=rss