Rather than pictures and sound, this device emits smells and sound.

Sound is recorded and reproduced in the standard way.

Smell is different. The cartridge for the Sniffie contains a RAM chip containing data for the presentation, along with a set of small reservoirs of liquid fragrances. A device similar to an inkjet spray nozzle allows the sniffie deck to aerosolize small quantities of fragrances and blow them out the front of the unit as needed to reproduce the experience recorded on the cartridge.

As an example think of a sniffie called "a walk to the park".

Scene one is the sound of an opening door and a burst of fresh cut grass.

Scene two continues the fresh grass, plus the smell of damp concrete, and municipal water, accompanied by the sound of a lawn sprinkler.

Scene three is a dry grass and a bit of garbage, as though walking past the neighbors lawn before he has picked up his trash cans. Traffic noises accompany.

Scene four is a melange of old and new dog urine, as would collect on a fire hydrant. More traffic noises, plus the sound of a traffic signal changing to the walk mode.

Scene five is flowers and compost, plus an older woman's voice saying "What a good dog, Off to the park, are we?"

etc.
-- Galbinus_Caeli, Mar 09 2007

Sounds and smell without sacrificing picture. http://www.coolest-...80%93-smellovision/
[2 fries shy of a happy meal, Mar 12 2007]

how do you know that, recarty?
-- po, Mar 09 2007


A 'sniffie' is a tear jerker.
-- nuclear hobo, Mar 09 2007


Aside from acuity, there's also the question of whether synthetic smells that work for humans would work the same for dogs. What I mean is, you might have a chemical (or a chemical combination) which smelt exactly like wet concrete to a human, but would smell nothing like it to a dog.

What I *really* mean is that different species may not all be detecting the same subset of odorant molecules from a smelly thing. Hence, mimicking the subset that a human perceives may not fool a dog at all.
-- MaxwellBuchanan, Mar 09 2007


inventive ... smell this croissant like a good doggie +
-- xenzag, Mar 09 2007


By the way, I think the character of "older woman" needs more depth of character - you need to develop her motivation and build her into more of a rounded character.
-- MaxwellBuchanan, Mar 09 2007


//I think the character of "older woman" needs more depth of character//

Oh, fine. "She also has the smell of two different men's cologne about her." Better?
-- Galbinus_Caeli, Mar 09 2007


So...what's this older woman wearing? ***wags eyebrows***

If what everyone else is saying is true about the sense of smell working differently for animals and human being, then I give you a bun for creativity, 'cos the idea itself is pretty cool.
-- Machiavelli, Mar 12 2007



random, halfbakery