Odor

In the world of dogs and cats, it wouldn't be a stretch to say that canines seem more optimistic and felines less so. But a dog's optimism can apparently be dampened by their human's emotional state, according to new research.

While we've seen multiple attempts to produce real-world odors in VR environments, many have involved cumbersome wearable devices. Chinese scientists have developed a much more streamlined system, which is applied to the skin below the user's nose.

For decades, inventors have pursued the concept of adding "smell-o-vision" to movies or TV shows. Swedish scientists have now created such a system for use in VR gaming, and it could actually help people regain their lost sense of smell.

Wastewater treatment plants generally aren't known for their nice smell, and they have to be monitored in order to ensure that they're not becoming too stinky. An experimental new system uses an "e-nose" and a drone to do the job better.

No matter how good we humans have made something, chances are nature did it better. Rather than compete, scientists have now tapped into a natural sensor with the Smellicopter, a drone that uses an antenna from a live moth to sniff out its targets.

​In real life, you don't just see and hear things – you also smell them. Therefore, given that virtual reality (VR) headsets are meant to replicate real-world experiences, shouldn't they provide odors along with sights and sounds? That's the idea behind the smelly new Vaqso VR system.

That unpleasant "cheesy" odor emanating from sneakers after a run is probably caused by bacteria on the skin that feed on sweat and produce isovaleric acid. You could try and mask the smell or use anti-bacterial soap on your feet, but Panasonic has another way – the MS-DS100 shoe deodorizer.

​Could scent-tracking sniffer dogs be out of a job? Well, perhaps eventually. Scientists from Japan's Kyushu University have developed a prototype robot that can detect and follow odors left on the ground, such as those deposited in footprints.

Scientists have come up with a cold plasma technology to zap cooking odors at the source, which means you'll be able to eat at your favorite soul food joint without smelling like it.

In potentially good news for the noses of gymnasium employees and commuters crammed into packed train carriages on hot summer days, scientists at Queen's University, Belfast claim to have developed the world's first perfume delivery system that releases more aroma the more a person sweats.

If you're like most people, you probably don't like leaving the bathroom smelling of "what you've done" after using the toilet. While spray cans may mask the odor, Kohler's new Purefresh toilet seat goes a step further – it filters the air right at the source, plus it adds a fresh scent.

While current communications platforms offer up plenty of content for our eyes and ears, some feel that our noses are missing out on all the fun and have developed the oPhone, a Bluetooth-enabled odor emitting device designed to enable users to send smells to one another as a text or email.