We're not into the protein level of molecule modeling. It's very, very cumbersome. We believe in being as simple as possible. Ivey said the company has received about 50 orders so far. Several other firms hope to develop the field of online smell into the next big thing.
Immersion is huge.
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.