Development of a wireless controlled olfactory display for VR/AR applications

In the search for ways to improve Virtual Reality simulations, there have been significant attempts into integrating the sense of olfaction by using Olfactory Displays. An Olfactory Display is a device that can generate a range of scents and deliver them to one or several subjects simultaneously. Recently, several different and innovative designs have been presented, and although effective, they are often complex systems and cumbering for the user. This thesis consists on developing a simple, economic and reliable prototype that could be further developed into a wearable device that would provide a better experience to the user performing a certain simulation. A prototype was developed using simple components and a new scent storage technology called Solid Fragrance Release (SFR) by the company OIKOS. To control this device, an economic and reliable wireless control system was developed to control the prototype at a distance, allowing the future user to wear the prototype without having wires preventing him to move around freely. Through a series of tests, both the olfactory display device and the control unit showed satisfactory results. The device was able to deliver different scents effectively using an imposed airflow by a DC fan that would carry the scented particles through a tube that would deliver the scents close to the user’s nose. The control unit ensured a reliable wireless connection up to a considerable distance using RF Transmitter-Receiver couple connected to 2 different Arduino boards, one of them connected to the device that receives information, and the other that sends the information received by a computer interface.