Sounds you can smell: Panasonic Aromation adds aromas to your arias

Do you like your music to smell Katy-Perry-candy-sweet? Or how about Sex-Pistol-peppery? It’s a consideration that Panasonic thinks music fans might have to make alongside their choice of streaming services in the future.

During the company’s centenary celebrations in Tokyo at the Panasonic Innovation Forum, it let visitors have a sniff of their favorite sounds with its Aromation concept.

A tabletop touchpanel designed within the company’s new Game Changer Catapult incubator group, Aromation features an aroma diffuser in its center that uses algorithms to match the wave patterns of your songs to a smell that suits the mood. 

Sound and smell-o-vision

To illustrate the idea, Panasonic offered two sliding points on a scattergraph-like grid, pitting a mood against sonic intensity. Softer, calmer tunes would give off a rose-like scent, while livelier, heavier beats released peppery, citrusy smells.

As a concept piece, the Aromation is as much an experiment as it is a device with an end-user or market spot in mind. But look to the way we enjoy our tunes now, with noise-cancelling headphones designed to fully immerse the listener in their favorite songs.

Whether the Aromation can further that sense of immersion, or act as an extra distraction, will probably be determined by your olfactory prowess or nasal sensitivity. But if a sense of synesthesia is top of your list when it comes to that full entertainment experience, there may be room for an Aromation system in some shape or form in your home yet.

Gerald Lynch

Gerald is Editor-in-Chief of iMore.com. Previously he was the Executive Editor for TechRadar, taking care of the site's home cinema, gaming, smart home, entertainment and audio output. He loves gaming, but don't expect him to play with you unless your console is hooked up to a 4K HDR screen and a 7.1 surround system. Before TechRadar, Gerald was Editor of Gizmodo UK. He is also the author of 'Get Technology: Upgrade Your Future', published by Aurum Press.