COLUMBUS, Ohio, October 23, 2026: Sharing photographs, videos and voice messages online has become part of everyday life. Now, scientists have developed a technology that could eventually allow people to share something entirely different: smells.
The technology, called Scentronic, uses an electronic nose to detect scents and a remote wearable device to reproduce similar aromas, potentially introducing the sense of smell into digital communication.
Developed by researchers at Ohio State University, the system aims to make online interactions more realistic by allowing people in different locations to experience similar scents.
How digital smell technology works
Scentronic combines scent recognition with remote aroma reproduction.
An electronic nose first detects and identifies a particular smell. The system then sends information to a wearable device at another location, instructing it to release aromatic molecules that produce a similar scent.
Unlike photographs or audio recordings, which can be viewed or played directly on digital devices, smells require physical molecules to stimulate the human sense of smell.
For this reason, Scentronic does not transmit the original scent itself. Instead, it communicates information that allows another device to recreate a comparable aroma.
The approach could eventually introduce a new sensory experience to internet-based communication, which currently relies mainly on sight and sound.
Researchers want to make online experiences more immersive
Chunyu Yang, a doctoral student in materials science and engineering at Ohio State University and lead author of the research, explained that the technology connects the detection of a smell in one location with its reproduction in another.
According to Yang, the objective is to bring the sense of smell into digital experiences alongside the images and sounds people already share online.
Researchers believe adding scents could make remote interactions more engaging and help users feel more connected to digital environments.
For example, future scent-enabled systems could potentially enhance virtual experiences by allowing users to smell aromas associated with objects or surroundings displayed on their screens.
When will digital smell become available?
Although the development demonstrates a method for recognising and remotely reproducing scents, the technology is not yet established as an everyday consumer feature.
The available research details do not specify when Scentronic might become commercially available or whether it could eventually be integrated into smartphones and other commonly used devices.
Nevertheless, the innovation represents progress towards multisensory digital communication, where users may one day be able to experience not only what they see and hear online, but also what they smell.
For now, sharing a scent through the internet remains an emerging technological possibility rather than a widely available service.