Do smells come into the VR?

For perfect immersion in a virtual environment, as many senses as possible should be involved. Smelling and tasting are areas that are usually missing in VR. In order to make the metaverse attractive, especially for shopping, rumours are needed.

Neuroscientific studies show that fragrant scents have a positive effect on purchasing behaviour. People like to shop where it smells good. Virtual shop owners can capitalise on this. If you are enchanted by a fragrance in the Metaverse, you can order the product straight to your home.

Researchers are currently working on technologies that can also be used to stimulate the senses of touch, taste and smell. A few years ago, the Japanese start-up Vaqso developed a fragrance dispenser that enriches the VR experience with odours, as we have already seen. reported. It is still a prototype, but an odour experience could make the immersion more complete.

Feel cold because of peppermint odour

Computer scientist Nimesha Ranasinghe has been working for several years on devices that trigger taste sensations through electrical stimulation of the tongue. The tongue is divided into different taste zones that communicate with the brain via nerve pathways. Using electronic sticks, Ranasinghe and his research colleagues have not only succeeded in modulating the intensity of these flavours, but also in creating the illusion of salt in test subjects who ate unsalted potatoes.

Tactile perception can also be stimulated in virtual reality. Last year, researchers at the University of Chicago developed a VR headset that activates receptors in the triplet nerve by spraying chemicals into the nose, thereby provoking sensations of cold or heat: When you smell peppermint, for example, it feels cold because the menthol triggers the same receptor as the cold sensation.

The development potential is huge. But will odours prevail? Smells were a big flop in the so-called 5D cinema. The combination of 3D, wind and fog, scents and vibrating seats never really caught on. We'll see how it goes down in VR.

Source: tagblatt