CES 2023 Smell Tech Highlights

Smell tech is floating into our living and virtual environments. From toilet health sensors to scent-enhanced shower experiences, wearables and software that allow users to create their own scent tracks, here are this year’s smell tech highlights.

BATHROOM

KOHLER SPRIG | Shower Pod System

Kohler Co. is proud to introduce Sprig, a new wellness brand that elevates daily routines into premium self-care rituals and includes shower pods, bath bombs and linen & body sprays. The shower pod system infuses both essential oils and hyaluronic acid into your shower spray systems. Install on existing plumbing in minutes for simple and seamless integration. The patented technology of the device infuses the water stream with a scented blend from the selected Sprig pod, enhancing the shower experience with mood-matching aromas and premium skincare ingredients.

The Sprig Scent Collection:

• Breathe: Eucalyptus and Mint to revive and refresh

• Focus: Clary Sage and Patchouli to awaken and empower

• Recharge: Bergamot and Lemongrass to energize and invigorate

• Shield: Tea Tree and Rosemary to purify and cleanse

• Relax: Chamomile and Green Tea to calm and soothe

• Sleep: Lavender and Vanilla to create a serene environment

WITHINGS |U-Scan

U-Scan is attached to a plastic tab on the side of a toilet bowl and can give an immediate snapshot of a body’s balance by monitoring and detecting biomarkers found in urine while also offering actionable advice for health improvements.

Its sensor will detect the presence of urine and pump a sample into a microfluidic system which triggers a chemical reaction. The reaction changes the color of a paper, which is then read by the device’s scanner. Each cartridge is made of a dozen test pods containing specific types of biomarker tests. When placed in the reader, this versatile system can support nearly limitless medical and health use cases simply by adapting the test pods.

U-Scan Nutri Balance offers a detailed metabolic guide to hydration and nutrition. This will look at water balance, nutrient levels, fat metabolism and quantities of vitamin C while also being able to monitor ketone levels and pH. U-Scan Cycle Sync is developed for period tracking. It can provide detailed, regular testing to enable fine-grain cycle tracking to predict ovulation, hydration levels and nutrient levels.

When the results are processed, they are shared to a server over WiFi or Bluetooth, and then the cartridge will reset with a fresh test pod. The company says that U-Scan is sufficiently smart to distinguish different users, such as various family members in a home, and separate tests accordingly.

The company has partnered with two medical centers in Europe to explore ways of discovering renal lithiasis and bladder cancer. It’s hoped that the system will eventually be used to mass-screen for cancer markers and support medical studies.

LIVING ROOM

LG | Styler ShoeCare Styler ShoeCase and Styler ShoeCare

LG’s Styler ShoeCare is a locker-like appliance that deodorizes and stores your shoes. It uses LG’s TrueSteam nozzles, also found in the LG Styler Clothes Steamer, to refresh four pairs of shoes in 37 minutes. It’s also equipped with Zero-Dry filters that absorb moisture in the air to control humidity and keep your shoes smelling fresh. LG created 10 different settings so the device can safely clean leather, suede and other common shoe materials.

LG | PuriCare Aero Furniture

LG’s new PuriCare Aero Furniture is designed to clean the air and blend in with one's home decor. Aero Furniture is a side table with a built-in air purifier. It uses HEPA filtration to banish airborne allergens, and LG’s UVnano technology to keep its fan blades free of viruses and bacteria. Other perks include a built-in wireless charger for smartphones and wireless earbuds, eight different mood lighting settings, and connectivity with the LG ThinQ app so you can control it and monitor real-time air quality levels from your phone.

KITCHEN

SAMSUNG | Bespoke Wall Mount Hood

The Samsung Bespoke Wall Mount Hood features an air quality sensor that tracks smoke and other air pollution levels as you cook, and sends this information to the SmartThings app. The hood also syncs with smart Samsung cooktops to intelligently adjust ventilation according to your cooking activity and can ventilate up to 700 cubic feet per minute to eliminate smoke and odors.

J&J NEUTROGENA | SkinStacks

Johnson & Johnson brand Neutrogena announced a partnership with Nourished, a maker of 3D-printed dietary supplements, to print personalized skin care gummies called Nourished x Neutrogena Skin360 SkinStacks. The process uses the same artificial intelligence technology as Neutrogena’s Skin360 digital skin assessment, which allows users to scan images of their face from their phone for a skincare analysis. Users can then take a short quiz about their routine and goals — and can pick from “ageless, clear, hydrate, glow or resilient”.

Skinstacks then suggest which vitamins and minerals it thinks one’s skin most needs and sends this information to a 3D printer that produces the chewable gummies made of 7 layers of scientifically backed ingredients. As for the flavors, they include watermelon and tangy cherry among others. The gummies are coated with the flavor after they’re printed. What if this extended beyond skin benefits and could include emotional benefits as well?

CAR

PANASONIC | X Portable Air Purifier

Panasonic’s X Portable is an air purifier that fits into most car cup holders. It uses Panasonic’s Nanoe X technology, which employs hydroxyl radicals, a diatomic molecule that’s known to act as a “detergent” when it comes into contact with pollutants, to clean the air. In simple terms, it’s very effective at cleaning the air, doesn’t require a filter and tackles odor and harmful air pollutants. That includes odor neutralizing and allergens like pollen and pet dander, and helps inhibit viruses, bacteria, and mold. The air purifier is certified by California Air Resource Board (CARB) as well as the Underwriters Laboratories (UL) and the Electrical Testing Laboratory (ETL) which have rigorous standards for air cleaners and electrical safety respectively. The air purifier is USB-powered and cleans a car in two hours at a low decibel level (36 dB).

BMW | i Vision DEE Mixed Reality Slider (Does not include smell tech, but what if it did?)

BMW’s I Vision Dee concept electric vehicle is a fully “digital emotional experience”. Aside from it being able to change color and blend in with the surroundings through its 240 individually controlled e-ink panels, and its ability to visually express emotions through its headlights, it can also take you on a ride through a virtual world.

The BMW Mixed Reality Slider is the central operating control allowing the driver to use move through five stages of information that can be displayed on the head mount display, which includes driving information, information from social channels, augmented projection and finally a fully virtual world immersion. It can take a driver on a drive through the Bavarian Alps or a future world…. And what if we could also smell these virtual worlds?

DIGITAL

AROMAJOIN | Aroma Shooter Wearable & AromaPlayer

Aroma Shooter 3 and Aroma Shooter Wearable are powered by Aromajoin’s proprietary Aroma Shooter technology, the device can instantly switch between various scents and without any residual effect and is worn around one's neck.

The Aroma Shooter technology is made of two parts: the shooter itself and the aroma cartridge. Rather than using oils or mist, the aroma cartridge is a solid-state device that can “toggle between scents in 0.1 second and blend scent permutations instantly with no lingering sensations.” To emit a scent, the device first brings in ambient air, which then passes through the scent particles released from a cartridge to create the scent. It then sends the scented air directly toward the user’s nose through its uniquely designed orifices. Among the several hundred scents available are coffee, orange, shampoo, dark chocolate, ocean, blueberry verbena, floral soap, spearmint, perfume and natural forest that can be purchased.

The AromaPlayer is a companion application with AromaShooter devices.
It is a web application that can be accessed online and allows creators to synch scents to videos and share these. The viewer picks a video from his or her own library or even selects a YouTube video and can add the timing and duration of various scents on the video timeline.

Key features are:

• Scent-switching without causing scents to mix
• Deliver scents without leaking into their environment
• Connects to PCs, smartphones, and VR/AR headset via Bluetooth for real-time interface
• Sandbox/creator system included in the software to encourage content creation (Video, visual art, audio, etc.)

OVR TECHNOLOGIES| ION3 & ScentStudio

ION 3, OVR Technology's first personal, wearable scent technology optimized for VR, AR, mobile, and desktop to enhance immersion is worn wrapped around one's head, kind of like a headset. The company aims to provide consumers with a best-in-class digital scent wearable technology to enhance their physical and virtual lives.

The ION 3 delivers up to thousands of scents using a set of 8 cartridges, and a delivery system that is synchronized with the content users are viewing and/or hearing in VR, AR, and mobile or desktop computing devices. OVR will also provide a scent creation tool as an app, ScentStudio, that enables anyone to create digital scents optimized for the digital content they develop.

The patented suite of tools includes:

• A wearable scent technology that allows users to experience multisensory content via mobile, desktop, AR, and VR;
• A mobile app creator studio and community, designed in partnership with leading cognitive neuroscientist Rachel Herz, PhD;
• A universal scentware cartridge capable of producing thousands of unique scents with one set of scents
• Scent combinations designed specifically for digital experiences

And there's a lot more to say about this one…

For more information and insights on the possibilities of scent experiences today, partnerships and tech development, get in touch at olivia@futureofsmell.com.