A smelling screen is a type of digital scent technology, unveiled in 2013, that combines a display screen, similar to a television or computer monitor, with an odor emitting device capable of pinpointing the smell to a specific portion of the displayed image. It is believed to be the first device to incorporate smells into a television screen,[1] though certainly not the first to synchronize smell with a displayed image (see Digital scent technology).
The smelling screen combines a digital display with four small fans, one at each corner of the display. Odor stored in tiny gel packets is emitted and blown parallel to the screen.[2] By varying the speed and strength of each fan, an emitted odor is moved to a specific spot on the screen. The fans operate at a very low speed, making it difficult for the user to perceive airflow; instead he or she perceives the smell as coming directly out of the screen and object displayed at that location.[3]
In 2013, a group of researchers from the Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology unveiled a prototype smelling screen to the public at the ACM/IEEE Virtual Reality Conference.
The product is in the early stages of development with no plans for commercial distribution in the near future.