The glasses are fitted with speakers and scent emitters, and are “an attempt to encourage face-to-face communication with emotional and memorable sound and
smell experiences”.
The project was led by Keio University PhD student Yongsoon Choi, who lists his research interests as “the research of relationships between human emotion and variable expressions on the clothing”. He presented his findings to a conference on Advances in Computer Entertainment Technology in Portugal late last year.
The glasses communicate with a smartphone via Bluetooth. Once the infrared sensors on the glasses detect somebody else wearing a pair of Sound Perfume goggles, a message containing your name, contact number and your unique sound and smell signatures is sent to that person.
The glasses communicate with a smartphone via Bluetooth
In response, the recipient’s phone communicates with his or her glasses, which in turn emit your signature sound and odour.
The system can also be paired with a mobile phone’s camera, so when a photo is viewed later, the sound and smell of the person you met is triggered.
A test performed on 52 people by researchers from the National University of Singapore showed the Sound Perfume glasses helped people make a positive impression on first encounter.
While the link between memories and smell is well established, it is unlikely the Sound Perfume glasses will be retailing anytime soon.