Study: A cool project using senses
‘Bouquet’ is a project by Pietro Alberti, Erika Martins, Arthur Moscatelli & Andrea Ramirezand has only been documented for research purposes.
Summary
Bouquet is an olfactory device that consists of a cone-shaped instrument which has an inbuilt optical sensor on its tip that allows it to recognise different colors. There is a stepper motor disc that’s been placed inside the cone’s bottom that rotates swatches with different scents. When pointed towards a particular colour, the disc rotates and radiates a corresponding smell – colour red, for example, gets paired with the smell of strawberries.
The idea is based on the concept of synesthesia – “an anomalous blending of the senses in which the stimulation of one modality simultaneously produces sensation in a different modality".
A few things I really enjoyed about this project:
It’s an interactive experience that allows one to rethink how senses could be perceived and opens up a world of possibilities of the what if…
The concept uses a fairly simple and straight forward part of the Arduino scope and yet has a really rich and unique experience for the user.
The device has a minimalistic aesthetic, seems light to hold, looks fun to use and the shape is smartly designed based on the tools needed inside. It also resembles the shape of a bouquet which is a great point of reference to the sense of smell.