#203 – A Scent for New Intelligence

Scent has been called the least understood of the human senses, and its ethereal nature has made it particularly challenging to replicate with technology. Back in 2012, IBM predicted that the ability to digitally mimic all five senses would be reached within five years, but with that deadline come and gone, the ability to accurately generate and detect odors remains somewhat elusive. Smell is an intriguing function, as it was critical to day-to-day survival for our ancestors, and even today it is strongly intertwined with our emotions and memories.

 

Marketers are acutely aware of the power of scent, and evidence shows the ability for the right scent to drive retail sales. The scent technology market is expected to grow from $320.24 billion in 2017 to $3.12 trillion in 2026, as this tech is applied to defense and security, medicine, and food and beverage. Having previously examined computer replication of touch, taste, hearing, and vision in other reports, Webrain now completes its investigation of the senses with a close look at what has been accomplished with smell and how this technology is being used today and where it is heading in the near future. In this report, Webrain discusses A Scent for New Intelligence, in which the ability to analyze scents provides humans with new insights and intelligence, leading to enhanced safety and convenience.