Imagi-SMELL-ing? New Disney Patents For Smell Technology
My goodness, stories like this make me happy; Imagineering and such. We’ve all heard about Disney’s use of “Smellitzers” on main street and Pirates of the Caribbean. But, hey, let’s make a leap (or a haughty sniff) into the 21st Century of smelling tech.
The Orlando Business Journal’s Richard Bilbao reported:
Being on a ride is more than just about that spin or gut-dropping feeling when the car takes a dip — it’s about how all the senses come into play for an immersive experience.
That’s something emphasized in the latest patent published by The Walt Disney Co. on Aug. 29 called “scent blending.” Specifically, the patent tackles “providing time-varying scent effects in a scripted entertainment event.”
In short: The patent looks into how scents can be dispersed in a manner that can allow for transitions in scenes…
I mean, why not? If Disney can work to manage all the other senses, why can’t smell be the new frontier?
Here’s more from the patent:
- Unlike conventional scent augmentation systems and methods that try to overpower and replace unpleasant odors, this disclosure describes methods and systems for artistically delivering scent in a manner that creates a representation of a physical space and physical objects that are represented in the entertainment experience.
- The olfactory transition may heighten the entertainment experience, such as immersing a participant in an environment displayed on a screen or surrounding a participant position (such as on a ride) and transitioning the senses of the participant from element to element (e.g., displayed the first location to displayed second location).
Mr. Bilbao didn’t know exactly where the new “scent blending” would occur, but I think this is a pretty good guess:
For example, Soarin’ at Epcot uses smells of the environments that riders visit on their simulated journey across the globe. In addition, the Ratatouille ride at Disneyland Paris has been described to include scents while riders race through the story of little rat chef, Remy. A similar ride, Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, is set to open at Epcot next summer. It’s possible this new technology can be used to further enhance how scents are used for the attraction when guests enter the kitchen scenes of the ride. Also, this technology could be used to enhance other attractions that maybe show explosions where a scent of something burning can further enhance the experience.
After all:
I can’t wait to smell even more color next time I am at a Disney Park!