DigiScents

A couple of weeks ago Mike and I were talking about how much smell triggered memory. My sense of smell is so in tune with my past, that it amazes me how much one smell can bring back something long forgotten. For instance, today I was washing some dishes in the sink at work. For some reason, the smell of the water reminded me of my late Grandmother's house in Baltimore. I was immediately catapulted back into her 1950's kitchen with the green countertops and the dishes that my grandfather bought at a local gas station.

I then remembered an article I read many years ago in Popular Science about how this group of scientists developed a digital way to reproduce scent. I tried to find this wonderful machine, but all I could find was a bunch of articles about a company called DigiScents that was making a product called iSmell. The articles were all from 1999 and 2000 -- but I have yet to find the product. It makes me wonder if the company sizzled out due to lack of market?

I did manage to find another company called TriSenx that is actually selling its product. They already have a couple music videos and educational sites that allow you to "smell" the items you see. Pretty cool.

Can you imagine what this technology could do to advertising? Waft a smell of a Big Mac into my living room or actually be able to SMELL the aromas of a cooking show? It would bring a whole new meaning to sporting events when you could smell the sweat and B.O. from the court...