Hi Folks,
Thomas Mueller wrote:
> Likely these smells would be not natural scents but industrial byproducts such
> as used by the modern perfume industry, hazardous to anybody with allergies or
> sensitivities.
It would HAVE to be a (very tiny) set of primary olfactory notes from
which more complex "smells" could be generated by varying the proportions.
Much the same way that colour pictures can be generated by using just
three primary colours - limited but useable.
Trouble is, the olfactory spectrum is so wide, and our noses are so
perceptive, that the "tiny" smell base will still have to be a fairly
large number of individual materials. And they will have to be pure
chemicals, but not necessarily synthetic, to have any clear control over the
scents generated.
And yes, there will be hazards for those with allergies unless the
formulators take their responsibilities very seriously.
> Let's hope the olfactory portal won't become a standard part of
> desktop computers! Worse yet, suppose the olfactory portal malfunctions?
The most likely malfunction will be one of the more used ingredients
running out - as with colour cartridges in colour deskjet printers - but it
won't be so obvious unless one knows what smell to expect.
Technically, it should be perfectly possible. I wonder if the
"Smell-O-Matic" makers will make drivers for DOS ? HAH !!!
Even then, would it be worth Michael even considering it ?
Regards,
Ron
Ron Clarke http://homepages.valylink.net.au/~ausreg/music.html
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