Researchers Demonstrate Internet-Based Scent Transmission

Researchers at Ohio State University and Zhejiang Laboratory have developed Scentronic, a system that uses an electronic nose and machine learning to identify odors, send scent information over the internet, and trigger a remote device to release matching fragrance molecules. The system has been tested on five familiar smells—coffee, beer, red wine, cake and orange—and volunteers identified recreated scents correctly about 73% of the time. The scent itself is not transmitted digitally; the receiving device needs the corresponding fragrance materials, and the technology remains an experimental prototype. Researchers see potential uses in video calls and online shopping, but say it needs broader scent recognition and further development before practical use.