The Smell Synth
World Maker Faire 2017
GROUP
Museum of Food and Drink (MOFAD)
MOFAD is a new kind of museum that brings the world of food to life with exhibits you can taste, touch, and smell. We inspire curiosity about food, what it means, and how it connects to the world around us.
The Smell Synth is a Willy Wonka-inspired smell machine you can play like a piano. Press "maple" and take in its sweet aroma. Now add "butter" and – poof! – you've created pancakes. There are over half a million combos. What smells will you create?
What inspired you to make this project?:
Many people don't realize it, but flavor is all about chemicals. We use our nose and tongue to detect the chemical makeup of our food, and the resulting sensation is what we call flavor. We wanted to create an exhibit that demonstrated the surprising notion that chemicals are the building blocks of flavor. What better way to do it than to create a smell machine you can play like a piano? The technology did not exist so we invented a system for live-mixing smells.
