ARoma - A Tangible Interactive System

•

Augmented Reality olfactory meal aroma (ARoma)

An Interactive Tangible System

The olfactory interface deals with the sense of smell. The idea behind ARoma is such that users can smell whatever is on their screen.

Scene - A student is on a video call with his parents, the parents are showing him a homemade sweet dish. The student is tempted by what he sees and the least he can do is to remember how it tasted. This can be partially solved with the help of ARoma.

Machine Learning?

The prototype was rigorously trained with machine learning algorithm in Teachable Machines to learn 2 Indian sweet dishes, shrikhand and gajar halwa via images. Their respective smells were captured, would be released accordingly.

What is Olfaction?

Olfaction, or the sense of smell, is one of the 5 senses along with sight, sound, touch & taste. The process of acquiring information related to scent through nostrils is called ortho nasal olfaction & through mouth is called retro nasal olfaction. Both of them influence the flavours humans taste.

In humans, olfaction has a small contribution in identifying objects or other people, but plays an important social and emotional part. People learn to love or to hate certain foods or objects only by appreciating their odour and this has been proven as a very important economic factor. Olfactory cues are likely to promote hunger signals within the brain. (through activation of olfactory processing neurons and hypothalamic stimulations.