Researchers at Ohio State University and Zhejiang Laboratory in China have developed Scentronic, a system that detects a smell in one place, sends the data over the internet, and recreates the aroma on another device. The study was published in Science Advances and led by Chunyu Yang, a doctoral student in materials science and engineering at Ohio State.
It starts with an “electronic nose”: an array of gas sensors detects compounds associated with an odor, and a machine-learning model classifies the smell. Instead of transmitting the scent molecules themselves, the system sends the corresponding digital information; at the other end, a scent generator releases fragrances from liquids already loaded into the device.
In the tested version, the system recognizes five everyday aromas: coffee, beer, red wine, cake and orange. The electronic nose is about 15 centimeters (6 inches) in diameter and is portable, but it was not designed to be worn. The scent generator, by contrast, was made in wristband, necklace and handheld versions.
In tests, 14 volunteers identified the individually recreated aromas about 73% of the time; for pairs of smells, such as coffee and orange or beer and cake, accuracy was around 71%. The system responded to the sensor signal in 0.6 seconds, although classifying more complex food odors took several to tens of seconds.
The researchers also built a prototype cup that dispenses both scents and flavored liquids: wearing a mixed-reality headset, a user can select a virtual drink and trigger the corresponding release in the real world. Suggested applications include sharing the scent of a meal with people far away, more immersive virtual and augmented reality experiences, and letting online shoppers sample a scent before buying.
The right measure matters: this is a research prototype, developed without a company involved, according to Reuters. The authors themselves note that current classification is at category level and reconstruction uses preloaded channels, without reproducing full chemical composition, and that the experiments were relatively simple, with limited control conditions. Expanding the repertoire would require training the system for new smells and supplying the corresponding liquids to the generator.
Image credit: Scentronic overview, Science Advances (2026), via TechXplore.
Sources
- Reuters: New 'Scentronic' technology can detect and transmit aromas remotely
- TechXplore: Something smells different as scientists send aromas over the internet
- Science Advances: Scentronic (DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aee9266)
Transparency: this article was produced with the help of artificial intelligence, cross-checked against public posts and internet sources. Check the original sources for details.
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