Bring Odors into Virtual Worlds將氣味帶入虛擬世界

塔尼婭·巴蘇/文　韓聰/譯

Soon， you may be able to smell the metaverse1. 很快，也許你就能在元宇宙中聞到氣味了。

Scientists have come up with a new way to introduce odors into virtual reality via small， wireless interfaces.

科學(xué)家們想出了一種新方法，通過小型無線接口將氣味引入虛擬現(xiàn)實(shí)。

Creating smells in virtual reality is a vexing problem that has prevented consumer VR devices from offering a full sensory experience in most settings. “People can touch in VR，” says Xinge Yu， a professor at the department of biomedical engineering at the City University of Hong Kong and the lead author of the new paper， published in Nature Communications2. “And of course， you can see and hear in VR. But how about smell and taste？”

在虛擬現(xiàn)實(shí)中創(chuàng)造氣味是一個令人煩惱的問題，阻礙了虛擬現(xiàn)實(shí)設(shè)備在大多數(shù)環(huán)境下為消費(fèi)者提供完整的感官體驗(yàn)?！叭藗冊谔摂M現(xiàn)實(shí)中能體驗(yàn)到觸覺?！毕愀鄢鞘写髮W(xué)生物醫(yī)學(xué)工程系教授、在《自然·通訊》上發(fā)表這篇新論文的主要作者于欣格說，“當(dāng)然，在虛擬現(xiàn)實(shí)中能體驗(yàn)到視覺和聽覺。但是嗅覺和味覺呢？”

Previous efforts to create odors in VR have involved multiple wires， messy liquids， and bulky contraptions3 that dont lend themselves to4 home use.

以前為了努力在虛擬現(xiàn)實(shí)中創(chuàng)造氣味，試過一根根的電線、亂七八糟的液體和笨重古怪的裝置，并不適合家庭使用。

To tackle the problem， Yu and his co-author， Yuhang Li of Beihang University in Beijing （both of whom have backgrounds designing flexible electronics）， developed two wearable interfaces. One can adhere to5 the skin between the nose and mouth like a bandage; the other straps on beneath a headset6 like a face mask.

為了解決這一問題，于欣格和其共同作者，北京航空航天大學(xué)的李宇航（兩人都有柔性電子設(shè)計(jì)經(jīng)驗(yàn)），開發(fā)了兩種可穿戴接口：一種像繃帶，可以附著在口鼻之間的皮膚上；另一種像口罩，用帶子戴在頭戴式視圖器下面。

Both types of interfaces use miniaturized odor generators， a grid of tiny containers filled with perfumed paraffin wax. When a heat source beneath the wax is activated， the wax heats up， essentially becoming a scented candle capable of reproducing multiple odors within 1.44 seconds， according to Yu and Li. When the experience is over， a copper coil kicks a magnet to tamp down7 on the wax and cool down， ending the scent.

這兩種接口都使用微型氣味發(fā)生器——由裝滿香味蠟的小容器組成的網(wǎng)格。據(jù)于欣格和李宇航說，蠟下的熱源啟動后加熱蠟，蠟基本上就變成了一支能夠在1.44秒內(nèi)再造多種氣味的香薰蠟燭。在體驗(yàn)結(jié)束時，銅線圈會推動磁體將蠟封住和冷卻，終止氣味。

The higher the heat， the stronger the odor and the more easily identifiable the smell， Yu says. That means that interfaces can get very hot—up to 60°C （140°F）， which is dangerous for human skin. But Yu says the interface is safe because of an “open” design that lets hot air escape， along with a piece of silicone that forms a barrier between the skin and the actual device.

于欣格說，溫度越高，氣味就越濃，也越容易聞到。這意味著接口會變得非常熱——高達(dá)60攝氏度（140華氏度），這會燙傷人體皮膚。但于欣格說接口是安全的，因?yàn)椴捎昧恕伴_放式”設(shè)計(jì)，可以讓熱氣逸出，還有一塊硅酮膠在皮膚和實(shí)際設(shè)備之間形成屏障。

In a test with 11 volunteers， the interface that goes between nose and mouth was judged safe so long as it was at least 1.5 millimeters from the nose， with a temperature at the skins surface of 32.2°C， or 90°F—less than human body temperature. Yu realizes， though， that a scalding hot interface attached to your face might not feel safe enough to use， and he said he and Li were testing ways to make the interface run at lower temperatures or cool down more efficiently.

在一項(xiàng)有11名志愿者參加的測試中，只要附在口鼻之間的接口距鼻子至少1.5毫米，在皮膚表面的溫度為32.2攝氏度（約90華氏度），低于人體溫度，就可以認(rèn)為是安全的。不過，于欣格意識到，將滾燙的接口貼在臉上，用起來可能讓人感覺不夠安全，他說自己和李宇航正在試驗(yàn)如何讓接口在更低的溫度下運(yùn)行或更有效地冷卻。

Yu and Li are not alone in trying to create seamless olfactory experiences in VR. At CES8， OVR Technology9 announced that it would release a headset containing a cartridge10 with eight “primary” aromas designed to mix and match.

并非只有于欣格和李宇航試圖在虛擬現(xiàn)實(shí)中創(chuàng)造流暢的嗅覺體驗(yàn)。在國際消費(fèi)類電子產(chǎn)品展覽會上，OVR技術(shù)公司宣布將發(fā)布一款頭戴式視圖器，里面裝著一個有八種“原”香的香盒，旨在混搭調(diào)味。

“This is quite an exciting development，” says Jas Brooks， a PhD candidate at the University of Chicagos Human-Computer Integration Lab who has studied chemical interfaces and smell. “Its tackling a core problem with smell in VR： How do we miniaturize this， make it not messy， and not use liquid？”

“這是一項(xiàng)相當(dāng)令人振奮的發(fā)展?！敝ゼ痈绱髮W(xué)人機(jī)集成實(shí)驗(yàn)室研究化學(xué)接口與氣味的在讀博士賈斯·布魯克斯說，“這項(xiàng)發(fā)展正應(yīng)對虛擬現(xiàn)實(shí)嗅覺的一個核心問題：我們?nèi)绾螌⑵湮⑿突?，讓其不散亂，且不使用液體？”

Artists have long attempted to bring scents into entertainment. In 1960， “Smell-O-Vision11” made its first and only appearance with the film Scent of Mystery， which released odors during key plot points via air conditioning. But the effort bombed： during screenings， scents were either delayed or too faint to notice.

長期以來，藝術(shù)家們一直試圖將氣味帶入娛樂業(yè)。1960年，“嗅覺電影”在電影《神秘的氣味》中曇花一現(xiàn)，是通過空調(diào)在關(guān)鍵情節(jié)點(diǎn)釋放氣味。但這次艱難嘗試失敗了：在放映期間，氣味要么來得太慢，要么太淡而無法察覺。

These new interfaces are a notable development that could change how we experience VR. Olfaction is a powerful sense and a prerequisite for our mouths to detect flavor. The possibilities range from the obvious—sniffing a virtual flower field or inhaling VR food—to some less obvious applications. For example， perfumeries could test fragrances virtually.

這些新接口的發(fā)展引人矚目，可能會改變我們體驗(yàn)虛擬現(xiàn)實(shí)的方式。嗅覺是一種強(qiáng)大的感覺官能，也是口腔察覺味道的前提。從明顯的方面——嗅聞虛擬花田或鼻吸虛擬現(xiàn)實(shí)食物——到一些不太明顯的方面，這都可能派上用場。例如，香水業(yè)可以對香水進(jìn)行虛擬測試。

Medically， scent-equipped VR could be helpful for people who have anosmia12， or an inability to smell， according to Yu. Scents can also be therapeutic13 for patients with memory issues and might even help with mood. Yu told me he noticed he felt happier when he used the green tea scent in his tests. He realized that the smell was nostalgic14： “When I was little， Id have some chocolate with a green tea flavor，” he recalled. “I still remember peeling off the wrapper， and how I loved the smell.”

據(jù)于欣格說，在醫(yī)學(xué)上，帶有氣味的虛擬現(xiàn)實(shí)技術(shù)可能對嗅覺喪失的人有幫助。氣味對有記憶問題的患者也有療效，甚至可能有助于改善情緒。于欣格告訴我，他注意到自己在測試中使用綠茶香氣時，感覺更快樂。他意識到這種氣味引人懷舊?！拔倚r候吃一些綠茶味的巧克力，”他回憶道，“我還記得剝掉包裝紙時，多么喜歡那種氣味?！?/p>

What stands out about these new interfaces is that they are light， small， and wireless. While the device wasnt tested directly with a VR game， platform， or specific device， the fact that it can be used without clunky wires should mean fewer tangles， less bulk， and a more immersive15 experience.

這些新接口的亮點(diǎn)在于輕便、小型、無線。雖然該設(shè)備尚未直接在虛擬現(xiàn)實(shí)游戲、平臺或特定設(shè)備上測試，但不需笨重的電線就能使用，這意味著纏結(jié)更少、體積更小、體驗(yàn)更真。

One drawback is that the interfaces remain limited in scope. Yu used 30 different scents chosen for their distinctive， recognizable odors， like rosemary and durian. But many real-life scents are less memorable and might not be as recognizable. Additionally， the miniaturized odor generators have yet to be programmed to work smoothly with existing VR headsets. “Its hard to say how this would work in a commercial interface，” Brooks says.

缺點(diǎn)在于接口的適用范圍仍然有限。于欣格用了30種獨(dú)特、易識別的不同氣味，如迷迭香和榴蓮。但在現(xiàn)實(shí)生活中，許多氣味不易記住，可能也沒那么容易識別。此外，這種微型氣味發(fā)生器尚未預(yù)設(shè)程序以順利配合現(xiàn)有的頭戴虛擬現(xiàn)實(shí)視圖器運(yùn)轉(zhuǎn)?！斑@將如何在商用接口中發(fā)揮作用還很難說。”布魯克斯說。

Yu says next steps include testing mechanisms to release scents at the right moment. He also wants to start incorporating what hes learned about smell into figuring out how to introduce taste in VR. Perhaps one day he can replicate the experience of biting into a green-tea-flavored chocolate candy.

于欣格說后續(xù)要做的事情包括測試在合適的時候釋放氣味的裝置。他還想結(jié)合自己了解到的嗅覺相關(guān)知識，來搞清楚如何將味覺引入虛擬現(xiàn)實(shí)中。也許有一天，于欣格可以復(fù)制兒時咬下一口綠茶味巧克力的體驗(yàn)。

（譯者為“《英語世界》杯”翻譯大賽獲獎?wù)?；單位：新鄉(xiāng)市第十六中學(xué)）

1 metaverse元宇宙，指人類運(yùn)用數(shù)字技術(shù)構(gòu)建的、由現(xiàn)實(shí)世界映射或超越現(xiàn)實(shí)世界的、可與現(xiàn)實(shí)世界交互的虛擬世界。? 2由英國自然出版集團(tuán)（Nature Publishing Group）發(fā)行的期刊。? 3 contraption 奇特的裝置。? 4 lend oneself to sth適合于。

5 adhere to黏附，附著。? 6 headset頭戴式視圖器。? 7 tamp sth （down） 壓實(shí)。

8 = Consumer Electronics Show 消費(fèi)類電子產(chǎn)品展覽會。? 9美國一家數(shù)字氣味技術(shù)提供商，總部位于佛蒙特州。? 10 cartridge可插換型容器（如墨盒、膠卷盒等）。? 11嗅覺電影，一套氣味傳遞系統(tǒng)，由瑞士發(fā)明家漢斯·勞伯（Hans Laube）發(fā)明。

12 anosmia嗅覺喪失。? 13 therapeutic治療的。? 14 nostalgic引起懷舊的。? 15 immer-sive沉浸式的。