Screens and speakers carry sight and sound across the internet, but smell has stayed offline. Researchers at The Ohio State University have developed an AI-powered electronic nose and a wearable release system called Scentronic that aim to change that. The study was published in Science Advances and announced by Ohio State on November 5, 2026.
How the system works
According to Ohio State’s College of Engineering, the device uses an AI e-nose to detect and analyze odors, and Scentronic uses machine learning to classify data in real time and release scents hands-free. Senior author Jinghua Li, an assistant professor of materials science and engineering, said the long-term goal is to build the systems into compact, personalized devices.
What the tests showed
The system was trained on five food scents: coffee, beer, red wine, orange and chocolate cake. In field testing, participants identified individual odors about 73% of the time and paired scents about 71% of the time. Li noted that people differ in sensitivity: some are more sensitive to certain odorants, and perceived intensity varied among individuals. The team also reported the feasibility of programmable, cost-effective odor delivery, including alongside interfaces that generate taste.
Wristband and necklace versions
Though a prototype, the design is flexible. Researchers built a wristband version that users lift to the nose to catch a scent, and a necklace version where five odor channels sit like pearls on a string and open only after a signal arrives. Next steps include testing other everyday accessories such as watches or smart jewelry.
Possible uses and caveats
Ohio State lists potential uses including assistive technologies, virtual training environments and extended reality that goes beyond sight and sound. Li also points to sensory aids in medical contexts, noting that loss of smell is linked to many neurological diseases and infections. These are stated possibilities from the researchers, not clinical claims, and this is a lab prototype. The work was supported by the National Science Foundation, the Center for Brain Injury Recovery and Discovery Pilot Award at Ohio State, and an Ohio State alumni grant.
Practical takeaways
- Digital smell is moving from concept to wearable prototypes.
- Accuracy of roughly 71 to 73% shows promise but also room to improve.
- Individual differences in smell sensitivity will matter for real products.
Bottom line
Scentronic will not make the internet scratch-and-sniff tomorrow, but it shows a workable path to programmable, wearable scent delivery.