The latest attempt to revive the ‘smell-o-vision’ concept, the oPhone Duo, has generated only tepid interest in the crowdfunding world, having achieved less than a third of its $150,000 funding goal thus far. The project, funded via IndieGoGo, was slated to pay for production of a special aroma-generating device that would enable people exchanging odor messages. These messages would be generated from a suite of chemicals, the precise pattern triggered via special data sent through an app developed for Apple Inc.’s (NASDAQ:AAPL) iPhone.
The idea of odor-producing technology is certainly not new, and several attempts have been made to market the concept commercially, including the famous “Smell-O-Vision” itself. None of the efforts have thus far been successful, perhaps due to the fact that Homo sapiens sapiens has evolved to be a highly visual creature, with the sense of smell relegated a minor sensory role in most situations.
Currently, the oPhone project is only 28% funded, with $41,665 out of $150,000 collected. Plans are in motion to increase the project’s visibility, however, including an appearance at the American Natural History Museum in New York City, New York. This will kick off an American tour exhibiting the device and demonstrating its actual function for the public.
Choosing New York City as the venue for the first public demonstration of the oPhone DUO is likely a wise decision on the part of the oPhone’s promoters. The “Big Apple” is a powerful economic and cultural force in the United States, and, indeed, the world. In 2011, the city boasted a Gross Metropolitan Product of $1.2 trillion, making up 8.6% of America’s GDP and generating 6.4% of the nation’s total jobs. This, according to Business Insider, gives it a larger economy than the whole country of Sweden.
The crowdfunding project has been promoted in several interesting ways, including the “first Transatlantic scent message.” David Edwards, PhD., sent a scent message across the ocean, with champagne and macarons being the items chosen for this historic event.
Though it is as yet uncertain whether the project is destined to bring scent messaging to Apple’s (AAPL) iPhone, there is still some time remaining for the crowdfunding to succeed – a model proven successful in the past by the runaway triumph of such projects as the iStick flash drive by HYPER, which reached its $150,000 goal within a few hours of opening.