‘Digital smell’ technology could mean you can send smells via online chats, scientists claim | Daily Mail Online

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‘Digital smell’ technology could mean you can send smells via online chats, scientists claim | Daily Mail Online

Fruity, woody, or minty! ‘Digital smells’ sent via electrodes placed inside your nose could let you transmit ODOURS in messaging and dating apps

  • Researchers claim to have created fruity, woody and minty ‘electric smells’
  • They did this by putting electrodes inside participants’ nostrils 
  • This stimulated electrical currents behind the nostril where neurons were found
  • However, critics say that smells might not have been created by electricity 

 

‘It is part of a whole, integrated virtual reality or augmented reality’, lead researcher Adrian Cheok who is the director of the Imagineering Institute in Malaysia told NBC.

‘So, for example, you could have a virtual dinner with your friend through the internet. You can see them in 3D and also share a glass of wine together’, he said.

Researchers created ten different odours for the 31 participants involved in the research.

Dr Cheok believes that one day odours will be sent in digital form over the internet – although he says that it might still be decades away.

The recipient could receive them by wearing glasses or goggles with electrodes in them.

‘The next stage is to produce it in a more controlled manner, and this will allow for people to develop software and products to generate electric smell’, Dr Cheok says.

He believes it could also restore smell to people who have lost it due to illness or an accident.

However, critics say that smells might not have been created by electricity.

Joel Mainland, a neuroscientist at the Monell Chemical Senses Centre told NBC that although it could be possible to create odours using electrical stimulation that might not have happened in this study.

‘If you are asking someone if something smells, they have a strong bias to say yes even where there is no odor’, he said.

Researchers in Malaysia claim to have created fruity, woody and minty 'electric smells' by putting electrodes inside participants' nostrils (stock image) 

Earlier this week, scientists said that zapping the brain by placing electrodes inside the nostrils could bring back someone’s lost sense of smell.

Being able to regain smell would be a breakthrough for millions, as figures estimate up to five per cent of people are unable to process scents.

Doctors at Massachusetts Eye and Ear tested the method on five patients who could already smell. It is the first time the sense has been stimulated this way.

The scientists believe the results open the door for a cochlear implant for the nose.

By placing electrodes in the nose, the nerves in the olfactory bulb were stimulated, and information was sent to the deeper regions of the brain.

Some cases of loss of smell can be treated by caring for an underlying cause, such as blocked sinuses or swelling, where the nasal passage is obstructed and smells can’t reach the brain.

In more complicated cases, the sensory nose may be damaged due to head injury, a virus or ageing, which can lead to anosmia – complete loss of smell.

There are currently no proven therapies for this, but the study proves there are options on the horizon.

‘Digital smell’ technology could mean you can send smells via online chats, scientists claim | Daily Mail Online

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‘Digital smell’ technology could mean you can send smells via online chats, scientists claim | Daily Mail Online

By Chris Mahon, Wednesday, 28 November 2018 – 1:53PM

Of all the useless projects undertaken by humanity, few have been more difficult, futile, and unpleasant than artificially creating smell, either through electrical impulses or by pumping in smells directly into a room (like the ill-fated Smell-O-Vision). Though smells can trigger emotions and even memories, nobody is really clamoring for a piece of technology that lets you smell someone you’re video-chatting with or sample a catalog of virtual smells (unless it’s one of those fancy air fresheners). Nevertheless, a team of researchers in Malaysia is forging ahead with digital smell technology, and they claim to have made some progress.

During the experiments, 31 participants had an electrodes inserted in their nostrils, which stimulated the receptors in the nose that send signals to the brain to create a sensation of smell. According to the Imagineering Institute, which conducted the study, the researchers were able to evoke 10 different artificial scents, though they weren’t able to control which one the participants smelled.

According to Adrian Cheok, one of the researchers associated with the study: “It’s not just about the smell. It is part of a whole, integrated virtual reality or augmented reality. So, for example, you could have a virtual dinner with your friend through the internet. You can see them in 3D and also share a glass of wine together.”

However, some scientists have doubted the findings of the study. One of them is Charles Spence, of the University of Oxford, who told Mach: “Any everyday smell will probably activate tens or hundreds of receptors. If you have only got one electrode in the nose, no matter what frequency rate or intensity (of electrical current you use) you are not going to be able to stimulate enough receptors to deliver a (perception).”

Joel Mainland, of Monell Chemical Senses Center in the United States, also pointed out that people may believe they can smell a faint odor when they’re told they should be smelling one. According to Mainland, the Malaysia study doesn’t adequately account for this issue.

Either way, we’re not holding our breath (or noses) for the day when you can email someone the scent of a sandwich.

Flower Delivery with Blossoming Elegance

Flowers are more than simply a transaction. It’s an opportunity to express emotions and celebrate special occasions and lift spirits. Flower delivery is more than the mere logistics of it; it’s about making arrangements that exude class and class. In this post, we delves into the intricate process of sending flowers with blooming beauty, from selecting the perfect flowers to making sure that the presentation is perfect.

The Flower Delivery Introduction

Flowers have been long admired because of their ability to express sentiments and emotions. It doesn’t matter if it’s to express the sentiments of sympathy, love or happiness flowers can be a universal language that is beyond words. Therefore, the act of delivery of flowers has a significant significance both in professional and personal situations. From weddings to birthdays, funerals to graduations, flowers serve as a key element in the celebration of the important events in life.

Elegance is the most important aspect of a successful flower delivery in Lahore. It’s not about the number or the variety of flowers; it’s about a beautiful arrangement that displays the taste, style and a keen eye for the smallest of details. An arrangement that’s elegantly designed is able to engage all the senses while leaving an unforgettable impression on the person who receives it.

Selecting the Best Flowers

The first step to deliver elegant flowers is choosing the perfect flowers. Flowers have different meanings, therefore it is important to think about the occasion as well as the recipient’s preferences. Roses, for instance, are associated with romance and love, which makes the perfect choice for anniversaries as well as Valentine’s Day. However, the lily symbolises the purity of innocence which makes the perfect choice for weddings as well as ceremonies of religious significance.

Knowing the language of flowers lets you design arrangements that speak to the person receiving it at an emotional level. Take into consideration the color, scent and meaning of every flower to ensure that your arrangement conveys the message you want to send.

the art of Flower Arrangement

After you’ve selected the perfect flowers, now it’s time for you to place them in a manner that oozes elegance and class. The art of flower arrangement requires more than simply placing the flowers into a vase. the art of floral arrangement requires knowledge, imagination and an eye for style. The first step is to choose the focal point of your arrangement, like an impressive, striking flower or a striking accessory.

Then, think about the principles of proportion, balance, and harmony while arranging your bouquet. Try experimenting with various textures, colors and heights to add visual interest and depth. Don’t be uneasy mixing and matching various types of foliage and flowers to enhance your arrangement.

The role in Elegance for Flower Delivery

Elegance transforms a basic arrangement into a masterpiece. It’s the attention to details and the precise arrangement, and the overall design that set the most elegant bouquet above the rest. If done correctly elegantness enhances the user’s experience, creating feelings of appreciation, admiration and joy.

No matter if it’s an individual stem rose or an extravagant centerpiece, each flower arrangement can be an exquisite work of art. By selecting only the best flowers and placing them in a thoughtful manner it is possible to create stunning moments that will be remembered and treasured.

The Power of Scent: How to Use Smells in Your Marketing Strategy

As businesses continue to innovate and look for new ways to attract customers, one approach that is gaining attention is the use of scent marketing. Scent marketing is the process of using smells to promote a brand, product, or service, and it can be an incredibly effective tool in your marketing arsenal.

Smells are powerful triggers that can evoke emotions, memories, and even influence behavior. When you walk into a bakery and smell fresh bread, for example, it can make you feel hungry and entice you to buy a loaf. Similarly, the scent of pine needles can evoke memories of Christmas, and the smell of freshly cut grass can make you feel calm and relaxed.

Here are some tips on how to incorporate scent marketing into your business strategy:

Identify your brand’s scent: Every brand has a unique personality, and your scent should reflect that personality. For example, a gym might use the scent of peppermint to promote energy and focus, while a luxury hotel might use lavender to promote relaxation and comfort.

Use scents strategically: Scents can be used to create a mood, enhance the customer experience, or even mask unpleasant odors. For example, a car dealership might use the scent of leather to create a luxurious atmosphere, while a hospital might use the scent of eucalyptus to mask the smell of antiseptics.

Experiment with different scents: Just like any other marketing strategy, scent marketing requires experimentation and testing. Try out different scents to see which ones resonate with your customers and help achieve your goals.

Be considerate: While scents can be powerful marketing tools, it’s important to be considerate of others. Some people may have allergies or sensitivities to certain smells, so it’s important to use scents in moderation and avoid overpowering customers click this link here for more information.

Incorporating scent marketing into your strategy can be a unique and effective way to stand out in a crowded market. By identifying your brand’s scent, using scents strategically, experimenting with different scents, and being considerate, you can create a memorable and engaging experience for your customers.

Zapping the Olfactory Bulb Produces Phantom Smells | The Scientist Magazine(R)

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Zapping the Olfactory Bulb Produces Phantom Smells | The Scientist Magazine(R)

Researchers envision a cochlear implant–like device for the nose to give people with impaired olfaction a sense of smell.

 

By SHAWNA WILLIAMS Nov 27, 2018
The sensation of perceiving a smell can be induced in people by using electrodes to stimulate the brain’s olfactory bulb, researchers report today (November 27) in the International Forum of Allergy & Rhinology. The results, they suggest, are a proof of concept that it would be possible to develop an “olfactory implant system” to aid people with an impaired sense of smell, known as anosmia.

 

“Our work shows that smell restoration technology is an idea worth studying further,” says coauthor Eric Holbrook of Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary in a press release. “The development of cochlear implants, for example, didn’t really accelerate until someone placed an electrode in the cochlea of a patient and found that the patient heard a frequency of some type.”

Holbrook and colleagues enrolled five subjects in the study who were able to smell. Three of them reported perceiving odors not actually present when the researchers stimulated different parts of their olfactory bulbs with electrodes inserted through the nose, a procedure the study authors say caused “minimal discomfort.” Subjects described the smells as “onion-like,” “antiseptic-like,” “sour,” “fruity,” or simply “bad.”

The finding follows a report earlier this year that electrically stimulating structures high up in the nasal cavity produced smell sensations. The scientists who conducted that study at Malaysia’s Imagineering Institute aim to one day transmit smells electronically, reportes IEEE Spectrum—for example, to give restaurant-goers a whiff of dishes on the menu as they decide what to order.

 

See “Regularly Whiffing Essential Oils Can Retrain Sense of Smell

As in the Massachusetts Ear and Eye study, the Imagineering Institute researchers weren’t able to control which odor the subjects perceived. The Malaysian team suggests the digital smells could be transmitted through a noninvasive headset, rather than with electrodes up the nose, which their volunteers found quite uncomfortable. As coauthor Kasun Karunanayaka tells IEEE Spectrum, “A lot of people wanted to participate, but after one trial they left, because they couldn’t bear it.”

Future video chats might include smell along with sight and sound

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Future video chats might include smell along with sight and sound

Future video chats might include smell along with sight and sound

Imagine receiving a video chat from a friend that shows him behind a grill, barbecuing some burgers and franks. Now imagine being able to smell that pleasurable BBQ aroma through your phoneAccording to NBC News, digital smell technology is something that we could all be experiencing in the future. In Malaysia, experiments were recently conducted on 31 test subjects. The scientists working on the project had to place electrodes inside the noses of all 31 volunteers.
The electrodes transmitted weak electrical currents into neurons found above the nostrils. These neurons send impulses to the brain, which create the sense of smell. With the electrical impulses, the researchers were able to get the subjects to smell virtual recreations of ten different odors including fruity, woody and minty. Unfortunately,  the scientists could not control which of the smells were experienced by the subjects.
According to one of the scientists, Adrian Cheok, the technology could eventually be used to send smells over the internet with electrodes replaced by goggles. After all, not too many consumers would be willing to put electrodes in their nose every time they are in the middle of a video chat.
Recently, a product called Cyrano was marketed as a digital scent speaker, able to produce different smells on command from a smartphone app. But critics called it a high-tech air freshener. As long as there are scientists willing to work on transmitting odors, eventually there could be a time when sending smells over a smartphone is as easy as sending a text or email.

‘Digital smell’ technology could let you send ODOURS in dating apps – Mirror Online

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‘Digital smell’ technology could let you send ODORS in dating apps

Researchers have been able to evoke 10 different virtual smells, including fruity, woody and minty

It’s one of the most evocative senses, and now your sense of smell you be stimulated through odours sent in online chats.

Researchers from the Imagineering Institute in Malaysia have developed ‘digital smell technology’, that could let you send smells online, and for this they use an app they built online. Whether you are looking for a hybrid app or an app built for iOS or Android, Ecodelogic in Orlando can provide a solution for you, as they did for this project.

Speaking to NBC News, Adrian Cheok, one of the researchers behind the system, said: “It’s not just about the smell.

“It is part of a whole, integrated virtual reality or augmented reality.

So, for example, you could have a virtual dinner with your friend through the internet. You can see them in 3D and also share a glass of wine together, and even if you don’t have a date you could go to free adult dating sites to find the perfect date for you. You can join and use the site from a mobile device. That way, you can browse on the go. You may also want to consider to check over here if you’re interested in bisexual flings.

Meanwhile if you are looking for an unforgettable dating experience, here are highly recommended date ideas in toronto for couples especially during Valentines day! Needing help to improve your relationship if you have one, or get the relationship you want if you are not already in one, check out these PUA Tips here to learn more!

Normally, odors are transmitted by airborne molecules that enter your nose.

But in this system, the researchers used electrodes in the nostrils to deliver weak electrical currents to simulate smells.

During tests on 31 participants, the team was able to evoke 10 different virtual smells, including fruity, woody and minty.

While this system is by no means practical, the researchers suggest that it could be adapted in the future into a more wearable form.
Dr Cheok added: The next stage is to produce it in a more controlled manner, and this will allow for people to develop software and products to generate electric smell, as this is important in dating, when you share time with someone you want to have the best experiences, you can even use toys as a prostate massage device to enjoy with your partner as well.
In terms of practical uses, the researchers believe that the system could one day be used in cinemas, to give viewers a more immersive experience.

Future video chats might even transmit smells: See how

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Future video chats might even transmit smells: See how

Written By Shubham Sharma – 27 Nov 2018

 

Modern-day internet messaging platforms (WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger et al) have re-defined end-to-end conversations.

You can call a friend anytime to see what they are doing or where they are.

But, in order to make these conversations even more immersive, a group of scientists is exploring the possibility of transmitting smell via chats. Yep, SMELL!

Here’s how that could be a reality.

Future video chats might even transmit smells!

Tech

How smell could be transmitted on chat?

At present, no technology allows us to convey smell on internet-based chats.

However, in recent experiments, scientists were able to trigger different smell senses electrically, something that suggests a system like that might be a reality in the future.

They have envisioned a nose-like device that would sense odors and transmit them digitally to the receiver, along with sights and sounds, NBC News reported.

The subjects sensed different odors, but with no control

Experiment

Here’s how they electrically triggered a sense smell

A sense of smell is created when air molecules enter the nose and trigger specialized nerve cells, which deliver sensory impulses to the brain.

The scientists used the same technique, but instead of using air, they employed weak electrical currents to trigger these neurons.

They placed electrodes in the nostrils of 31 test subjects to deliver currents where the neurons are found.

 

The result

The subjects sensed different odors, but with no control

The resulting, electrically triggered impulses, led the subjects to smell virtual creations of 10 different odors, including fruity, minty, and woody.

Though they were not able to control which odor the subjects experienced, the team thinks the tech could be advanced to create a digital smell tech, where odors transmitted from that nose-like device would be received with some sort of glasses or goggles.

‘Digital smell’ technology could let us transmit odors in online chats

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‘Digital smell’ technology could let us transmit odors in online chats

“It’s not just about the smell. It is part of a whole, integrated virtual reality or augmented reality.”

Image: Man on cellphone
Researchers in Malaysia want to develop technology that would allow people to send scents as easily as they send emails and texts. PeopleImages / Getty Images

Having a video chat with a friend or colleague is all about seeing and hearing — at least for now. But experiments conducted recently in Malaysia suggest it may be possible to develop “electric smell” technology capable of conveying odors as well as sights and sounds.

The research is preliminary and not without its critics. But if electric smell pans out, long-distance conversations could one day be far more immersive — enabling you to share with a loved one the aroma of a meal you just prepared, for example, or letting you catch a whiff of the sea from your sister’s beach vacation.

“It’s not just about the smell,” said Adrian Cheok, one of the scientists behind the experiments. “It is part of a whole, integrated virtual reality or augmented reality. So, for example, you could have a virtual dinner with your friend through the internet. You can see them in 3D and also share a glass of wine together.”

 

EVOKING VIRTUAL ODORS

In real life, odors are transmitted when airborne molecules waft into the nose, prompting specialized nerve cells in the upper airway to fire off impulses to the brain. In the recent experiments, performed on 31 test subjects at the Imagineering Institute in the Malaysian city of Nusajaya, researchers used electrodes in the nostrils to deliver weak electrical currents above and behind the nostrils, where these neurons are found.

The researchers were able to evoke 10 different virtual odors, including fruity, woody and minty.

 

Image: Researchers at the Imagineering Institute in Malaysia use electricity to stimulate olfactory receptors.
Researchers at the Imagineering Institute in Malaysia use electricity, which they applied up the nose through electrodes, to stimulate nerves called olfactory receptors. –Imagineering Institute

 

The scientists couldn’t control which odors the subjects experienced, and they’re under no illusion that people will want to stick wires up their nostrils each time they have a video chat.

But Cheok, who is also the institute’s director as well as a professor at the City University of London, foresees a day when odors might be sensed by a sort of electronic nose (similar devices are now used in food-processing plants), sent in digital form over the internet and delivered to the recipient not via wires in the nose but via electrode-studded glasses or goggles.

“This stage was more exploratory,” Cheok said of the research. “The next stage is to produce it in a more controlled manner, and this will allow for people to develop software and products to generate electric smell.”

Cheok said it might take decades before the sorts of devices he envisions are ready to use. But he thinks devices that convey pre-programmed odors for entertainment applications — for example, to give moviegoers the generic scent of burnt rubber as they watch a car chase in an action movie — might be available sooner, perhaps within 15 years.

Electric smell technology could find applications beyond entertainment and personal communications. If it does prove feasible, it might be used to restore a sense of smell in people who have lost it as a result of illness, injury or inborn abnormality, said Joel Mainland, an olfactory neuroscientist at the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia.

“I think there are medical implications for a certain class of people who have lost their sense of smell, but not everybody,” Mainland said.

A FLAWED STUDY?

Mainland added that it should be at least theoretically possible to evoke specific odors via electrical stimulation. He compared this approach to cochlear implants, which electrically stimulate the nerve that carries sound signals to the brain to restore limited hearing to deaf people. “It’s not a natural stimulation,” he said of cochlear implants. “It seems like it shouldn’t work.”

It’s possible a smell-restoring device could function in a similar manner, he said. “If you start playing something that is correlated to smells that are coming in, people’s brains will be able to decode what is going on.”

But Mainland is critical of the Malaysian study, saying it’s possible that the smells the subjects reported may not have been produced by electricity. “I can give you an empty jar to sniff when you don’t have anything up your nose, and sometimes you would report a faint odor,” he said in an email. “If you are asking someone if something smells, they have a strong bias to say yes even where there is no odor.”

The study failed to account for this possibility, he said.