They've developed an AI-powered device that converts photos into a detectable scent.
In an age when digital images capture nearly every moment, a group of researchers has developed a device that aims to go beyond that: it converts images into scents. This project combines artificial intelligence and the science of perfumery to explore and analyze how technology affects our ability to recall past or familiar scents.
This project, led by MIT scientist Cyrus Clark, is called the "Animia Device." The word "anomie" refers to a longing for something never experienced, a term coined by author John Koenig in his 2021 book, *A Dictionary of Dark Sorrows*. The invention's concept is based on generating a fragrance that represents a memory from a simple photograph.
According to Fast Company magazine, the device boasts a simple yet eye-catching design, featuring a metal and plastic casing, a green screen, and three rotating wheels. Inside, it contains a glass container where the fragrance is produced, and it is extremely easy to operate.
First, the user uploads an image. Then, an AI system, combining image and language analysis, analyzes the scene and writes a brief description of what appears in it. The user can then edit this description using three buttons: the first to select the person or object that will be the main subject; the second to adjust the subject's age; and the third to change the emotional tone of the scene.
After collecting all this data, a linguistic model based on a technology similar to GPT-40 generates a short text summarizing the image's atmosphere. From this text, the system selects extracts from a library of between 39 and 50 different fragrances, categorized according to their ingredients and associated emotions.
Finally, four tiny pumps mix the required amounts of each scent in the cup, creating a fragrance specifically designed to represent that moment. Both the study and the device prompt reflection on the meaning of experiencing sensations we've never experienced before through a machine, which we ourselves choose to create.