Sometimes at CES you will find someone doing the Lord’s work and answering questions we’ve all had at some point in our lives, such as, “Why are we here? Why do bad things happen to good people? How could this anime smells like?” Japanese startup Aromajoin’s mission is to answer the last question with the AromaPlayer and the Aroma Shooter Wearable.
According to the company, the AromaPlayer is the “world’s first scented video platform” to partner with Aromajoin’s Aroma shooter (opens in new tab), an aroma diffuser that shoots scents in your face to match what’s on screen. Instead of liquids or gas, like a typical aroma diffuser, the Aroma Shooter uses “solid-state” cartridges that Aromajoin claims give a better, longer-lasting scent. With AromaPlayer you can load a clip and use different scents when needed for a complete immersion in scents.
In the teaser you can see a shot of the Aroma Shooter Wearable which I can only describe as a scent collar (or “stinky tech necklace” as our Katie Wickens described it).
The wireless collar draws in air which then “passes through the scent particles released from a cartridge” to create the scent which is then shot at your nose.
There are over 100 different scents to choose from, ranging from “coffee” to “ocean”, and from the clip it looks like you can wear at least six on the wearable.
Now you would think to demonstrate this advanced olfactory technology by showing fragments of bouquets of flowers or freshly baked cookies. Aromajoin took a different route.
It decided to showcase the Aroma Shooter’s potential with borderline NSFW anime, including Cyberpunk Edge Runners (opens in new tab). I’m not really sure what scents to associate with busty anime ladies, but if I had to guess, it would be a combination of lilac, vanilla, and shame.
You can download the trial version of it Aroma Player (opens in new tab) right now, although of course you can only read about the fragrances without an odor-producing device. There are already tons of user-made scent clips with one of the Resident Evil 4 remake trailers (opens in new tab)with scents like “wet earth” and “Spanish sage.”
The company will soon launch a crowdfunding campaign for the Aroma Shooter Wearable for VR/AR. You can also purchase an Aroma Shooter 2 and six cartridges for $998 direct from the Aromajoin (opens in new tab). Cartridges can also be purchased individually for $54 each.