A South Korean enterprise has also launched a product that enables smell for video games. But where the others see hardcore video gamers as the key to making online smell a success, Ivey believes business marketing applications are the way to go. Three fragrance makers have licensed the technology for use in store kiosks where shoppers can sample their perfumes, Ivey said, and candy and cookie companies also have expressed interest in using it for samples. Before his thoughts turned to the commercial possibilities of online smell, Ivey, a Hollywood, Fla., native who was raised in Savannah, invented a device that attaches to a steering wheel to indicate when a driver is drunk. The sensor, the main product of Ivey's other company, the DUIE Project, detects ethanol in the secretions from a person's hands.
Internet smells catch many people by surprise, and plenty more doubt such technology exists.
PR Newswire, which distributes corporate news to media outlets and other clients, demanded proof before it would file a release about the company's patent in February, Ivey said. The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. ABC News Internet Ventures.