A twin-system to control smell
Our digital smell technology is realised across both software and hardware – creating a twin-system that provides full control over the power of smell. From choosing the scents and their combinations to adjusting the directionality and the intensity, our system allows you to curate a truly immersive, user-friendly experience.
Digitally-Controlled System
Our OW Scent Delivery devices are multi-channel, digitally controlled systems suitable for use across a wide range of applications, including research, healthcare and immersive reality experiences.
The devices are modular, comprised of either six or twenty-four individual odour channels. Providing short-duration scent stimuli, each channel can be electronically activated – carrying a range of scents through an easily cleanable and replaceable cartridge. The units can be interfaced to a computer, tablet or smartphone via USB or Bluetooth, controlled using our software.
An intelligent cloud-based control platform
Our cloud-based software brings together a graphical user interface (GUI) and programming framework to create a generative toolkit capable of revolutionising olfactory human-computer interaction.
The technology not only reduces the complexity of smell in interactive systems, but enables both the creation and replication of olfactory experiences independent of the available scent-delivery devices – opening up the opportunity for consumers, developers, designers and artists to experiment with the use of smell in interactive systems. To make use of the software’s fullest potential, it is best utilised alongside our scent-delivery device.
Applications
Smell can be used in limitless ways. Our team of researchers, engineers and multi-disciplinary scientists are interested in unlocking its full sensory potential – from formulating unique scents through to analysing the particular effects a smell has upon us. Our products bring an experiential depth to each of the contexts in which they are applied, offering a unique and valuable experience for your customers and clients.
Our work is focused in three main areas – health and wellbeing, immersive experiences and innovative research. OW technology has been sold across the world to support leading studies in smell health (such as smell-testing), and as part of research into consumer behaviour and cutting-edge technologies. Our devices have also supported a range of multisensory artistic works across a number of continents. With the integration of our smell technology, we can both complete your existing ideas and develop new experiences from scratch.
Time Detectives AR, Mary Rose Museum
As part of our collaboration with both Picture This Productions and The Mary Rose Museum on their augmented reality experience, Time Detectives, our team designed and manufactured the first wearable scent-delivery device. Building on leading scientific research on olfaction and memory, the OW device is worn in a bespoke backpack whilst navigating the exhibition – bringing its lives and stories vividly to life. The project was recently featured on an episode of BBC Click.
Tree VR
Exhibited both at the 2019 World Government Summit in Dubai and at multiple World Economic Forums (WEFs) in Davos (2019 & 2020), Tree is an experiential piece of interactive storytelling from the VR studio New Reality Co. As the user is transformed into a rainforest tree – the body becoming the trunk and each arm a run of reaching branches – our scent delivery system was instrumental in creating an immersive, sensory experience through which the user grows from seedling to mature tree.
Fly VR
We designed multisensory components for ‘Fly’, an interactive VR piece tracing the human relationship to flight. A sponsored work as part of the celebration of British Airways’ centenary year, the piece enables visitors to travel through time – traversing the flighted-imaginings of Leonardo da Vinci, the cutting-edge of contemporary air travel and the potential flight of the future. Ranging from the Wright Brothers’ Kitty Hawk ocean breeze to the leathers, fireplaces and paint oils of da Vinci’s workshop, our scent delivery technology formed an essential part of the multisensory experience.
Digital Smell Training
Funded by a European Research Council Funding Proof-of-Concept award, SmellHealth is a collaboration between OW and University College London (UCL), where co-founder Marianna Obrist is professor of multisensory interfaces. The project aims to develop efficient and affordable smell-delivery technologies and smell training tools, to help people with loss of smell.
Automated Smell Testing
We are working with Rockefeller University (SMELL-RS) to create the first automated and standardised smell test toolkit to measure olfactory capabilities. As with eye and hearing tests, we aim to integrate smell training into these tests as part of future routine healthcare checks.
‘The fully automated scent-delivery system took our Tree experience to another level. The quality and accuracy of the delivery is incredible!’
Winslow Porter, Director, New Reality Co