Your VR headset will soon allow you to experience scents in the virtual world.

      Your nose is about to receive a VR enhancement, and it smells incredible.

      Virtual Reality offers a genuinely immersive experience. It has evolved significantly since its beginnings and can now provide crisp visuals paired with surround sound audio. Nevertheless, there is one aspect it has yet to fully address: smell. The absence of scent in the VR experience diminishes its potential, as smell is a crucial component of human perception.

      This may soon change, as a research team at the Institute of Science Tokyo, in partnership with Rakuten Mobile, has created a wearable device that integrates scent into the VR realm. It can mix up to eight different fragrances in real time, synchronizing them with your virtual surroundings.

      How does it function?

      The device is compact enough to be worn with a standard VR headset. It analyzes the virtual environment you’re in and produces a corresponding scent by mixing fragrance elements in specific proportions. So if you're virtually walking through a pine forest or browsing a beach market, your nose will be informed as well.

      The team utilized a combination of a microdispenser, an ultrasound atomizer, and a small pump to manage the quantity and timing of fragrance release. They tested the device with virtual travel experiences, enabling users to explore various places while inhaling the associated scents.

      Professor Takamichi Nakamoto, who spearheaded the research, shared the aim: “We aimed to create a system that could rapidly reproduce complex scents during immersive virtual experiences.”

      The outcome is a scent that presents promptly and dissipates neatly, without leaving you with the overwhelming aroma of having been in a perfume shop for hours. Participants noted that having scent enhanced their sense of realism and presence within the virtual environment.

      Could smelling VR worlds offer benefits beyond entertainment?

      Potentially, yes. Scent is already being employed in 4DX cinema experiences, indicating its viability in virtual entertainment. Beyond gaming and amusement, this technology may prove valuable for training simulations, fragrance product showcases, and even therapy for elderly patients, as smell is closely linked to memory.

      The device was presented at various international conferences, receiving positive feedback from attendees. While there remains a significant journey from a research prototype to a market-ready product, this represents an exciting advancement toward truly multi-sensory VR experiences.

      Rachit is a veteran tech journalist with over seven years of experience covering the consumer technology sector.

      DJI’s first 360° drone provides 8K video recording and an exceptionally long transmission range.

      With features like omnidirectional obstacle detection and 42 GB of onboard storage, the Avata 360 exemplifies DJI's knack for setting new industry standards.

      DJI has officially ventured into the 360° drone market with the introduction of the Avata 360. This marks the company’s inaugural fully immersive FPV drone, directly competing with the Antigravity A1, developed by a brand incubated by Insta360. The competition in drones just became more intriguing.

      What makes the Avata 360 appealing?

      I transferred all my chats from other AI applications to Gemini — and it operates seamlessly.

      You know that moment when AI assistants like ChatGPT, Gemini, or Claude suddenly become nonsensical mid-conversation and act as if they're completely certain of their inaccuracies? It’s equally amusing and incredibly frustrating. My typical response is to switch between applications, hoping one of them finally gets it right. However, the real issue is that I have to repeat my story each time. It feels like I’m trapped in a cycle of narrating my life to different AIs, one after another.

      Now, with Gemini, I can transition from other AI apps without having to restart the conversation. Finally, the Google gods have favored us. I tried it out with low expectations for glitches, but it was unexpectedly fast and smooth.

      Google expands Search Live worldwide, introducing voice and camera AI.

      The feature is now accessible in over 200 countries with multilingual support.

      Google is making significant strides toward transforming Search into a comprehensive AI assistant. The company has officially rolled out Search Live globally, available in more than 200 countries and territories, along with support for numerous languages.