An open-source database of low-fi and affordable scent devices for use by artists, educators, tinkerers and perfumers, to explore designing and building multi-sensorial experiences with scent.
To build this database, we will work in phases.
Phase 1 — Wearable & Shareable April 2021 - December 2021
We will catalog existing scent devices in the following focus areas:
- Wearable scent devices
- Sharable scent devices: stickers
We will build the following:
- Data schema and taxonomies for cataloging scent devices.
- Online form to add more devices (from creators).
- Wiki-like database (managed via Github & Airtable) of crowd-sourced devices, materials and components.
- Published dataset on Github, which can be shared to projects such as the IAO (Institute for Art and Olfaction)'s Open Sourcing Scent Culture database, and to informal STE(A)M educators databases.
- Clean and simple visual interface for displaying the data.
- Data collection workshops
Specific to the concerns of scent in interaction design, we will build our data structure to represent the need to know specific information about devices that use raw scent materials, hardware & carrier materials specific to scent, and understand the licensing history and needs for different emerging devices and production processes.
After learning the basics of scent & perfumery, it becomes clear that it is prohibitively difficult to safely and confidently share what you have created in a social context and maintain high quality and integrity of the olfactory experience.
For our catalog, we will specifically collect information on formulation requirements for the devices and the extent of control a perfumer has over the olfactory experience.
Chemical safety is a complex concern when it comes to scent. From allergens, to "aquatic toxicity" to sourcing concerns, it's the hard work of professional perfumers to balance safety concerns to create great olfactory experiences. Many molecules also have medicinal and pharmaceutical cross-overs, and known positive mental effects which inspire many people to pursue olfaction in engineered experiences. There are also thousands of molecules in common usage, with a variety of levels of research.
Because these are complex concerns, we will address known and possible safety concerns in our catalog.
Scent devices have an interesting potential in supporting accessibility efforts, as well as having accessibility issues of their own. What are the concerns?
Does the life cycle of the device support decomposition? Are the materials used toxic to aquatic life? Were any natural aroma materials sourced from unfair economic practices? Are the electronic components free of slave labor? Are the algorithms used public and available for peer-review? Are they reviewed against implicit bias?
There are a number of existing scent devices, and free-use licenses help emerging artists, educators and designers to get started. Similarly, affordable commercial devices and equipment can help to provide a stable basis for sharing designed digital experiences.
A lot of this has to do with the scope and scale of a project. Since scent design is opening up and becoming more accessible thanks to the hard and dedicated work of many scent educators and companies, it means that the possibilities of how scent exists in our digital worlds is also opening up.
Because of this, we will focus on devices that are affordable and accessible.
Most viable experiences are created by people with at least a decade of experience in the olfactory world. There are a limited number of opportunities to integrate scent and digital experiences, with most of those relationships forming among already established businesses and commercial partnerships. This makes for competition, and excludes educators, student artists and the vibrant world of innovators who acknowledge that scent, taste and touch are deeply and noticably missing from the digital world - despite being an essential part of our human experience.
Because this is so important, we will also collect guides to using and setting up devices and materials.
The landscape of scent devices includes electronics that manage the interplay of molecules in the real world. Devices interact with fluids, air, the human body, and manage the containment and release of scents in time.
This means that the definition of a "device" is a little different from what's common in most technology projects. We will include hardware, electronics and also carrier materials and processes that directly effect scent. There are many of these, and understanding what's available to safely play with is the purpose of this catalog.
Abstract: As scent information, education and science becomes more applicable and accessible to broader communities, there is an opportunity to enhance STE(A)M education efforts and connect the scent technology innovators, creative perfumery communities with informal educators and experience designers focused on prototyping new kinds of experiences with scent. To date, most of this research exists in universities, and scent technology opportunities are still new to the network of informal science educators. We have an opportunity to provide, organize and publish interesting technology, material science, chemistry and coding projects and we would like to focus on some low-fi interfaces and templates that can help form bridges between communities.
- Initial website will be scent-device.aromadiscord.com
- Initial device submission form (https://airtable.com/shr2t8vJrXC8TiBCy)
- Sign up to help out with the Scent Device Wiki: https://airtable.com/shrYOO91Bil9wLbJ0 (we will send you annoucements about workshops)
- Sign up for Aroma Discord: https://airtable.com/shrKiJES3nlqxHBXx (International meet-up group of scent technologists + perfumers + researchers)