Three fragrance makers have licensed the technology for use in store kiosks. For instance, a digital camera will be able to take a person's picture, bring it up on a computer monitor that will show the user what a particular makeup would look like. Candy and cookie companies also have expressed interest in using it for samples, he said. 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 by surprise, with plenty more who 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 official Web site of Popular Science Magazine. Terms and Conditions of Use.