Published June 7, 2021 - Freethink
Jesse Damiani
VR aromatherapy might be coming to a headset near you
“VR visually immerses users in digital worlds, and advances in spatial audio continue to add sonic elements that deepen the experience. But smell has proved trickier; as an industry colleague once said to me: you can’t pause smell.”
“VR offers unique opportunities related to smell. Where film and TV present content in two dimensions, VR is meant to fully immerse users individually. And because of the proximity of headsets to users’ noses, smell can be delivered more precisely, through attachments like ION, than in an open environment like a movie theatre.”
Humans have been trying to add scent to technology for decades. This is because scents can add a sense of realism to technology by invoking “memory or even intense emotion.” With this in mind, OVR Technology created ION. ION is a scent simulating VR hardware that “can be triggered by users’ movements or experiences in VR.” OVR Technology is using ION in its INHALE Wellness Plan as a tool for "promoting mindfulness and wellbeing".
Read Freethink’s article on ION to learn more!
