Smell-O-Vision, in which
movies or
television shows are appropriately
scented, was tried in American movie theaters as Aroma-Rama in the 1950s, pumping scents through theater vents and under seats, but failed to remain marketable. Theoretically,
smell can be
digitized, which researchers are presently working on. With the possible sophistication of
digitized scents, Smell-O-Vision will make its way into homes everywhere accompanying advertisments, education, and entertainment.
Currently, Dexster Smith and Joel Bellenson, founders of the company DigiScents, are developing iSmell, a plug-in device for the computer that contains a palette of scented oils that can combine to create distinct smells. Like MP3 players that download music from the Internet, DigiScents take orders from "ScentStream" software, translating digitized scents to the iSmell. Smith and Bellenson have compiled thousands of scents into a standardized Scent Registry which they plan to integrate into video games and websites.
Since smell is strongly tied to memory and emotion, Smell-O-Vision will be a powerful way to reinforce ideas.