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Technology has integrated sight, sound and touch into our virtual experiences, but the sense of smell remains yet to be conquered. Why has scent been left in the shadows? What potential does smell hold and what breakthroughs are needed to integrate it into virtual reality?

Our conversation with Olivia Jezler, founder of The Future of Smell, sheds light on both the promise and challenges of incorporating smell into virtual environments, a step that could reshape immersive technology.

Decoding digital smell

―How does smell in the digital world differ from other senses?

Jezler: Well, there’s a reason people say smell is the last piece in making the virtual world truly lifelike – it’s a powerful sense, able to trigger distinct emotions and memories, but applying it digitally is complex.

It requires subtlety and precision. The ideal scent should enhance the digital experience, not dominate it. The technology needs to be exact, releasing scents at just the right moments to match the virtual context, but most importantly, you’ll need to expertly craft the ‘right scent’ for the occasion.

Harmonising the digital smell experience

―What do you mean by the ‘right scent’?

Jezler: It depends on what you’re aiming for. You can create a single scent that matches your scene conceptually to create an emotional layer that enhances the experience. Alternatively, you can create literal and immersive representations of the scene.

This is done by crafting different scents for different aspects of the scene: one for the forest in your background, another for the flower path you’re walking on, a spotlight scent for when you sniff the flower closely, and as soon as you move away from the flower you return to smelling the surrounding again. Matching scents to the user’s actions and surroundings in VR will allow the experience to feel close to real.

―How close are we to a truly immersive digital smell experience?

Jezler: Jezler: We’re getting there, but there’s still a long way to go. There are a lot of people developing the hardware. Take OVR, for instance – it’s a great kit that can deliver a nuanced scent experience.

Broadly speaking, we still have a lot of gaps to fill. It’s not just about nailing the right hardware or scent, it’s also about making hardware affordable and user-friendly, something you’d actually want to use every day.

We also need to think of an application that goes beyond entertainment and clicks with people on a wider scale, maybe wellbeing or healthcare.

The future of digital smell

―What‘s your take on the future of digital smell?

Jezler: I see it being all about personalisation and accessibility. Imagine a mirror that suggests a unique scent based on your mood or day’s agenda. Fun, right?

Beyond that, there’s potential for smell in healthcare. Research is showing that the ability to smell certain scents at certain thresholds can help in detecting diseases like dementia, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. An accurate olfactory test using Sony’s new olfactory device, for example, could provide early detection of a decline in neurological functions. Today, we’re still playing catch-up compared to other senses, but the possibilities for digital smell are huge.