Scientists Develop Camera that Captures Smells But Can't Find a Use For It
In another episode of "well, that escalated quickly!" scientists have developed a camera that takes pictures of smells. Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) invented this quirky technology. The camera named "SmellCam," captures and records the time-stamped information about the smell, which can then be stored, analyzed, and even reproduced.
Some scientists believe this invention can help track and monitor the odors contaminating food. Others speculate that doctors may use it to diagnose illnesses using breath analysis. Some even dream about capturing the emotion attached to smells, such as memorializing the distinct scent of someone who has passed away. However, despite all the potential applications, the scientists are reportedly struggling to find a practical use for the SmellCam. Go figure!
One of the more bizarre ways researchers at MIT studied SmellCam was by taking it to a wine-tasting event, where it was used to record different "bouquets" of wine aromas. The scientists also took the camera to a Boston Bruins ice hockey game, which is a great place to test the theory that "if it smells bad, it probably is." Fortunately, it wasn't the smell of a hockey game that the camera picked up because, let's be honest, with hockey gear, it wouldn't have been pretty.
However, the SmellCam's features and accuracy remain an area of concern. The device currently relies on a small sensor array, which limits its detection capabilities. Users must hold the device close to the odor, which also means a bunch of people smelling things closely together just to capture it. It's not a safe position to be in, considering the circumstances, but the study's authors argue that the next version of the camera could be embedded in smartphones.
The device's functionality remains a work in progress. Still, it's the off-the-wall, comedic applications that caught our attention. The guys in lab coats have merely skimmed the surface regarding the smell-a-vision featured in film and television. For those of you too young to remember it, smell-a-vision was a gimmick where smells were released at specific times during a movie, stimulating the desired senses that corresponded to the movie's plot.
Now, imagine the future potential for horror movies. The SmellCam could consider its place in augmented reality or virtual reality, which could mean that if you're watching a horror movie, you could pick up the smell of the killer's breath. What a way to add to your enjoyment of a slasher flick.
Still, these applications barely scratch the surface of what is possible. Nevertheless, the SmellCam is an invention without an immediate home. It might be some time before we can truly appreciate the rest of a McDonald's customer line's smells: the bad, the good, and the nauseating. Until then, we're left to imagine a world where smells have their own stock photos.
