"Smell-o-vision TV: Coming soon?" Reaction

     In The Week Magazine “Smell-o-vision TV: Coming soon?” published on June 20, 2011, the author raises a new invention which is a system that permits the viewers to smell the scent that associated with what they watch in the show, then he explains how it works and the requirements. First, smell-o-vision is a device, invented by a corporation between Samsung and the University of California, that connected with the TV to emits odor that matches with the smell in the real show. It consists of 10,000 matrix intersection that can produce wide range of smells. In addition, this device has a quite similarity with the printer by changing the smell producer box whenever the whiffs disappeared. On the other hand, the author questioning whether the commercial and the TV producers will support this new technology and keep modifying the odor-generating device with new odors.

     I am convinced that this is a great invention which many people are dreaming about and waiting for, and it will cause revolution in the TV industry. However, I suspect about the success of this new technology for the odor quality and the device benefit. First of all, since the odor-generating device is filled with various smells and it emits the smell when the metal wires stimulate, the scent could be similar to the real smell but not the same quality. Also, it may sometimes produce the same smell for different things. For example, in a cooking TV show the device may releases the smell of italian herbs for both pizza and pasta. In addition, nowadays many products are in constant modification such as perfumes, detergents, drinks and food, so how can this devise includes all of these aromas in a rapid way. Eventually, people now become more aware about the trade's tricks and how it seem as a canal to absorb their money without sense. Thus, in the beginning viewers will appeal to the new invention, then they will recognize it is worthless and far away from the reality. In conclusion, smell-o-vision is still on its beginning and the researchers can improve and modify it until it passes all the barriers.