Smelling is believing as odour vision comes to VR headsets

0 0

By Matthew Griffin Virtual World 28th June 2021

WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF

Most VR headsets and systems appeal to just two of our senses – sight and sound – but increasingly startups are trying to expand their range.

Love the Exponential Future? Join our XPotential Community, future proof yourself with courses from XPotential University, connect, watch a keynote, or browse my blog.

Movie audiences and gamers may soon get to experience the scents of their favorite films and games sooner than they think. Via a press release Feelreal announced the pre-release of its Multi-Sensory VR Mask which includes, among other features, the ability to smell scents while viewing movies or playing games within a virtual reality headset.

This AI relies on human-like memory to create songs from lyrics

Feelreal’s Multi-Sensory VR Mask, which is the result of a kickstarter project from 2019, contains a scent generator that can hold and use up to nine aroma capsules within a replaceable scent cartridge. Multi-Sensory VR Mask users can choose from 255 different scents to add to their VR movie watching, game playing, or aromatherapy experiences. According to Feelreal’s website, among the many scents offered in its aroma collection are lavender, mint, burning rubber, and even gunpowder.

FeelReal | Kickstarter Launch Trailer from FEELREAL on Vimeo.

While the mask is designed primarily to be used with a VR headset, such as the Oculus Rift or the Samsung Gear VR headsets, its olfactory function can also be used on its own if users are more interested in its aromatherapy capabilities.

AI gets busy helping researchers create the first synthetic blood plasma

In addition to the Multi-Sensory VR Mask’s odor feature, Feelreal also included haptics that simulate other sensory experiences such as the feeling of heat, wind, water, and impact – AKA vibration. Heat and wind are simulated by the use of micro-heaters and coolers. The feeling of water and impact are generated by an ultrasonic ionizing, or misting, system and force-feedback haptic motors, respectively.

The mask itself is designed to be attached to a VR headset using magnetic mounts and should be able to connect to a headset via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. In addition to the Samsung Gear VR and Oculus Rift headsets, Feelreal’s mask can also be used with Oculus Go, HTC Vive, and PlayStation VR.

Next generation virtual influencers will be indistinguishable from humans

Movies, 360 degrees or other supported videos, can be watched within the mask via its Feelreal player. Users can also view free VR experiences called Feelreal Dreams, which are supposed to feature the use of the mask’s sensory capabilities. Gamers can expect the mask to be able to support games such as Beat Saber, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR, and Death Horizon.

Matthew Griffin / About Author

Matthew Griffin, described as “The Adviser behind the Advisers” and a “Young Kurzweil,” is the founder and CEO of the World Futures Forum and the 311 Institute, a global Futures and Deep Futures consultancy working across the next 50 years, and is an award winning futurist, and author of “Codex of the Future” series.

Regularly featured in the global media, including AP, BBC, Bloomberg, CNBC, Discovery, RT, Viacom, and WIRED, Matthew’s ability to identify, track, and explain the impacts of hundreds of revolutionary emerging technologies on global culture, industry and society, is unparalleled. Recognised for the past six years as one of the world’s foremost futurists, innovation and strategy experts Matthew is an international speaker who helps governments, investors, multi-nationals and regulators around the world envision, build and lead an inclusive, sustainable future.

A rare talent Matthew’s recent work includes mentoring Lunar XPrize teams, re-envisioning global education and training with the G20, and helping the world’s largest organisations envision and ideate the future of their products and services, industries, and countries.

Matthew's clients include three Prime Ministers and several governments, including the G7, Accenture, Aon, Bain & Co, BCG, Credit Suisse, Dell EMC, Dentons, Deloitte, E&Y, GEMS, Huawei, JPMorgan Chase, KPMG, Lego, McKinsey, PWC, Qualcomm, SAP, Samsung, Sopra Steria, T-Mobile, and many more.