Smelling screen: Technique to present a virtual odor source at an arbitrary position on a screen

A new olfactory display that can present a virtual odor source at an arbitrary position on a two-dimensional screen is proposed in this paper. The proposed device can give a sensation that an odor is emanating from a certain position on the screen. Fans are placed at the four corners of the screen. The airflows generated by the fans are deflected multiple times by making them collide with each other, and are finally directed toward the user from the position of a virtual odor source on the screen. By introducing odor vapor into the airflows, the odor is spread from the virtual odor source toward the user. The position of the virtual odor source can be shifted to an arbitrary position on the screen by adjusting the balance of the airflows from the four fans. The user can freely move his/her head and sniff at various locations. Potential applications of the proposed device include digital signage, video games, and exhibitions in museums. The result of odor-distribution measurement is presented here to show the validity of the device design.