How many times have you said to yourself, "Gosh, the description of that perfume sounds marvelous. If only I could press a button on my computer and have a whiff of it to see if I like it?"
Well, Japanese scientists are getting close to making that a reality. As can be seen from the above illustration, it is now possible to digitally record a scent. This scent can then be reproduced by mixing 96 chemicals in a scent blender, vaporized, and, puff, the scent is recreated at a computer for one's smelling pleasure!
The possibilities for the use of the scent recorder in perfumery seem limitless. However, the technology is still in the experimental stages and the equipment is a little cumbersome (see image below).
images source Tokyo Institute of Technology
But I am confident that soon we will able to, with a push of a button, smell any number of fragrances right at our own computer. Imagine the monetary savings in being able to easily test a fragrance before purchasing -- no more blind purchasing mistakes! Let me know: do you think this technology will be a good thing?
For more information about this technology, please visit The Tokyo Institute of Technology Nakamoto Laboratory website.