Several companies notably Facebook parent Meta have been working on technologies to support a future digital world called the “metaverse.” Metaverse is a term used to describe a non-physical world in which individuals interact through different kinds of digital technology. People would use virtual reality (VR) glasses and other devices to interact with each other in the metaverse. A company called OVR Technology launched a new wearable device that produces smells, or scents, designed for VR technology. In a video explaining the device, OVR chief Aaron Wisniewski said it is designed to copy the human sense of smell. The device links smells to elements a person can experience in a digital, VR-powered world. For example, smelling a flower would make the device produce a scent for it. Outdoor environments, such as being in the middle of a field, can also be digitally smelled. The device could also produce the smell of tasty foods as a person in the metaverse walks through shops or restaurants. OVR Technology says its device is able to produce thousands of different smell combinations. But, it adds that it is not designed to exactly produce smells found in the real world. Instead, the device aims to offer users “a whole new world of possibilities” in digital scent technology.
