Odeur - Smart Scent Clock

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MOME // 2020

My master’s diploma project is a smart device that indicates time with the help of scents. Taking advantage of the beneficial physiological and psychological effects of fragrances, it supports the user 24 hours a day in successfully performing their daily tasks. Currently we place great emphasis on visual and auditory stimuli that surround us, but we don’t pay much attention to our nose. Thus my goal was to create a device that works subconsciously and develops a new time perception method based on the user’s sense of smell.

The main topics of my thesis were memory and perception. Our memories play an important role in our lives, they shape our identity and connect our personal past with the future. Therefore I examined the motivations and tools of capturing memories in physical form. The advent of digital technology has given us new devices to visually capture our experiences. However, its excessive use has a negative effect on our memory and on the ability to fully experience the moment. Nowadays we mainly capture memories visually, but the recall could happen with the help of other senses. For instance, smell plays an important role in evoking memories and emotions. Therefore, I analyzed the sense of smell in detail: its process, its close connection with memory and emotions, and its effects on other areas of our lives.

Smells can influence our emotions thus our mood and behaviour.

In our digital world, we mostly rely on audio-visual stimuli, and we don’t use our other senses that we used to. This is especially true of smell, which has always been low in the hierarchy of the senses. Yet people’s sense of smell is distinctly good, and it’s easy to improve. It subconsciously affects many areas of our lives: smells have been shown to affect our emotions, thus our mood and our behaviour.

Recognizing this, fragrances are now used in many areas of marketing to achieve different goals, but there are only a few products that support the individual goals of users. I believe that in our world, oversaturated with audio-visual stimuli, we desperately need tools that can transmit information involving other senses. Therefore, my goal was to create a device that works based on the user’s sense of smell.

The device creates a dynamically changing fragrance environment during the day. It creates a personal scentscape. Over time, the scents also change constantly, with a full cycle lasting up to 24 hours. By using the device regularly, the user will be able to learn a new method of time perception: by sniffing the air, we can get information that we have only been able to with the help of vision. So the Odeur works like a display, just for our noses.

Suitable scents for different activities

In addition to tracking the passage of time with the help of dynamically changing scents, the tool can also support our activities and agenda by using the right scents. The scents are adapted to the activity of the time of day. In the morning, for example, they help with waking up, working effectively during the day, and falling asleep in the evening, and so on. A suitable scent can improve our well-being and help us to perform our tasks successfully.

The user does not have to participate in the creation, selection or release of fragrances, they happen automatically, based on predefined parameters. Users can set their own timeline to help the device create the right fragrance environment.

Smart home connectivity

To help the device work accurately, it can also be connected to a smart home system. This gives Odeur extra information that can help fine-tune the timelines. For example, knowing the location of your phone it can turn on before you arrive home, your smart watch can provide information about your stress level, your sleep schedule, activity level, etc., or with the help of smart home assistants the possibility of voice control becomes available.

Essential oils capsules

The scents present during the day are produced by the device using eight capsules filled with essential oil. Essential oils have proven beneficial effects that can help the user throughout the day. The effects of the oils can be enhanced if they are used in mixtures, so the device forms mixtures of them according to the desired effect at a given time of day. If a cartridge runs out of essential oil, the user can easily order a new one through the application associated with the product, in which case the empty capsule must be returned for reuse.

Operation

An important consideration in designing the operation of the device was that the user should not have to spend a lot of time maintaining the device and it has to work quietly. Thus Odeur releases essential oil molecules into the air with the help of heat and air flow. Therefore, the device has a quiet-running fan and eight heating elements for the eight capsules.

Testing

I tested the working principle of the concept at home. To do this, I purchased a 60 mm diameter, quiet-running fan, batteries, and 5 meters of 0.15 mm diameter resistance wire.

Application

The only button on the device is a power button. An important requirement was that the device has to work subconsciously, with the least number of user interactions. However, I designed an app to fine-tune the timelines and all other settings.

CMF options

The product would be available in several material and colour combinations so that users could purchase the product that best suited their environment. Fixed combinations would also be available on the product's website, but they could also be modified and personalized to meet the individual preferences of users.

Prototype

To see the overall size and form of the device I made a prototype with the help of MOME Techpark. The base is made from wood, and the body is made from 3D printed plastic.