Scientists have built a system called Scentronic that can pick up a smell in one place and carry it across the internet to another, a development that several outlets reported at once this week. It follows a long human habit of translating the senses into data, first sight and then sound, and now the far more elusive sense of smell. For now it is a promising proof of concept rather than something anyone can buy, and whether it becomes a lasting part of digital life will depend on details not yet public.
Scientists Develop 'Scentronic' Technology to Detect and Transmit Aromas Over the Internet
The internet is now passing the sniff test
Mark
Why does this story matter? Smell over the internet sounds like a novelty.
Mimi
Because smell is the one major sense the internet still can't carry. Sight and sound travel as data every day. This is an attempt to add smell to that list.
Mark
What's actually been built?
Mimi
The coverage describes technology called Scentronic that detects aromas remotely and transmits them, paired with AI and a wearable device.
Luke
I'd slow down there. All we have are headlines and a brief summary. We don't know who built it, how it was tested, or how many scents it handles.
Mark
So how much should we trust the claim?
Luke
That several outlets covered it suggests something real was announced. But the Discover headline says "could one day," which tells you it isn't a working consumer product.
Mimi
The virtual worlds angle is the most natural fit. Immersive environments already chase realism in visuals and audio, and smell is the gap.
Luke
Right, but that's a proposed use, not a demonstrated one. Nothing here confirms any deployment.
Mark
What would change your mind?
Luke
Technical details, a named research team and independent tests showing people can tell the transmitted scents apart.
Mimi
Then that's the thing to watch for next.
Il Polso
- Scientists claim they can detect a smell remotely and send it across the internet, a idea that until now has lived mostly in science fiction.
- Coverage from Reuters, New Scientist, The Times and Discover Magazine has spread quickly, with the story framed as both serious technology and playful novelty.
- An AI-paired wearable device is being developed to digitize scent alongside sight and sound, aiming to bring smell into online experiences.
- Key facts remain missing, including which team built the system, how many scents it handles, and how accurately it reproduces them.
- The story is still at the lab stage, and the next signals to watch are technical publications, independent testing, and early moves into virtual worlds or consumer devices.
Scientists have built a system called Scentronic that can pick up a smell in one place and carry it across the internet to another, a development that several outlets reported at once this week. It follows a long human habit of translating the senses into data, first sight and then sound, and now the far more elusive sense of smell. For now it is a promising proof of concept rather than something anyone can buy, and whether it becomes a lasting part of digital life will depend on details not yet public.
A cluster of headlines this week points to the same development: scientists say they have built a system that can sense a smell in one place and send it across the internet to another. The technology is called Scentronic, and the story has appeared in Tech Xplore, Reuters, New Scientist, The Times and Discover Magazine, each framing it a little differently. Some stress the remote detection, others the possibility of new dimensions in virtual worlds, and one, with a touch of humor, says the internet is now passing the sniff test.
The core idea mirrors what already happens with images and audio. They are captured, converted into data, sent across networks and reproduced at the other end. Scentronic aims to do the same for aroma, pairing artificial intelligence with a wearable device. The obvious uses named are virtual worlds, where smell has long been missing, and wearables that could deliver scent to a user, with remote sensing of aromas as another possibility.
The available material is thin. It does not say which research team built the system, how many scents it can handle, how faithfully it reproduces them, or what hardware is involved. Those answers will decide whether Scentronic is a real step forward or a laboratory curiosity. For now, the thing to watch is whether digital scent leaves the lab and reaches virtual worlds, consumer devices and remote sensing tools, and the first sign will be published technical detail and independent testing.
A cluster of headlines this week points at the same development: scientists say they have built a system that can pick up a smell in one place and send it across the internet to another. The technology is being called Scentronic, and the coverage has come from several outlets at once, including Tech Xplore, Reuters, New Scientist, The Times and Discover Magazine.
The headlines frame the work in different ways. Tech Xplore says something smells different as scientists send aromas over the internet. Reuters describes a technology that can detect and transmit aromas remotely. New Scientist suggests digital scents could add a new dimension to virtual worlds. The Times puts it more playfully, saying the internet is now passing the sniff test.
Discover Magazine's headline adds the most specific detail about what the device might look like: an AI-powered wearable that could one day transmit smells over the internet. The phrasing "one day" matters. It signals that what has been shown so far is a proof of concept rather than a product someone can buy.
The core idea, as the coverage describes it, is to treat smell the way sight and sound are already treated online. Images and audio are captured, converted to data, sent across networks and reproduced on the other end. Scentronic aims to do that for aroma, pairing artificial intelligence with a wearable device to detect scents remotely and carry them digitally.
The obvious applications named in the coverage are virtual worlds, where smell has long been the missing sense, and wearable devices that could deliver scent to a user. The source material also points toward remote sensing, meaning detecting aromas at a distance, as a possible use.
The material available here is limited to headlines and a short summary. It does not say which research team built Scentronic, how many scents the system can handle, how accurately it reproduces them, or what hardware is involved. Those are the details that will determine whether this is a genuine step forward or a laboratory curiosity.
What to watch is whether digital scent moves beyond demonstrations in a lab and into virtual worlds, consumer devices and remote sensing tools. The first sign will be published technical details and independent testing.
Citazioni salienti
Digital scents could add a new dimension to virtual worlds.— New Scientist headline
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