Scientists working within Malmö University and Stockholm University, which are serving in Sweden, have made a very important development regarding virtual and augmented technologies. By customizing a device called “olfactometer” used to measure people’s sense of smell, scientists managed to develop a game that integrates with this device. Thus, it became possible to smell the environment in the virtual reality environment.
Specially developed by scientists, the olfactometer has a four-valve structure. In other words, it can mix different odors and transmit this odor to the environment. Thus, a user wearing virtual or augmented reality equipment can experience that environment more realistically.
Developed a game about wines for fragrant virtual reality
Scientists added a small piece to the controller of virtual reality equipment to smell the environment. The four-valve piece we just mentioned was located at this point. In order to test the study, the experts who entered the wine cellar and wrote a small game where the bottles could be broken, tested the result of the study. As a result of the studies, it was determined that when the bottle in the game was broken, odors suitable for the environment were released. So all efforts paid off.
Video games have focused more on images to date. Developed for consoles and PCs, the controllers also started to give tactile feedback to the players with small vibrations. However, until now, there was no game or technology focused on smell. Now this situation has completely changed.
*An image from the wine cellar game where the smell test was performed.
Although the study by scientists seems to focus on virtual reality games, it promises more. For example, this technology can also be incorporated into movies. It is debatable whether fragrances are presented to movie theaters with or without virtual reality support. Thus, after an explosion scene in the movie, the surroundings may start to smell of burning. In addition, special education programs can be started for people who have lost their sense of smell. In this way, the sense of smell can be regenerated. Along with all these, scents can also be included in the games as in the main idea of the study. For example, if a player is shot next to us while playing PUBG or CS: GO, we may start to smell the blood around. Of course, all this is work to be done over time…
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