SpotScents: A Novel Method of Natural Scent Delivery Using Multiple Scent Projectors

We propose a projection-based olfactory display method as an unencumbering way to deliver smells using a scent projector. This device allows us to deliver smells both spatially and temporally by carrying scented air within a vortex ring launched from an air cannon. However, our original scent projector had a problem: users often felt a significant, unnatural airflow when the vortex ring hit their faces. In this paper, we propose a novel configuration of a projection-based olfactory display that reduces this breeze effect. We use two air cannons that launch vortex rings that collide at a target point and break by themselves, distributing their smell at the point where they were broken to make a small "spot" of scent. With this configuration, users feel as if the smell came with a soft breeze, so that they can enjoy a more natural olfactory experience.