GM has filed a patent application for a new olfactory communication system that is designed to generate aroma-based notifications for vehicle passengers.
The GM patent filing has been assigned patent number US 11,738,685 B1 with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), as was published on August 29th, 2023. The patent was originally filed on June 27th, 2022. Two Michigan-based engineers are listed as the inventors, including Jacob Alan Bond and Joseph F. Szczerba.
The patent describes a system that emits an aroma in the interior of a vehicle to provide the occupants with a notification of some sort. The system includes one or more controllers which execute instructions to receive a message that a certain event is occurring. To indicate that the event is occurring to passengers, the controllers will emit a custom aroma inside the cabin, with the custom aroma tied to the specific event in question.
While custom notification systems have been made for several other senses, such as sight, sound, and touch, notifying passengers via a custom aroma is a novel new way to accomplish similar goals. An aroma-based notification system could also prove beneficial in ways where other systems may be lacking. For example, individuals who are hearing impaired and visually impaired may not receive notifications from sound or visual alerts. In addition, an aroma-based approach to notifications may be less annoying than continually buzzing sound alerts or flashing visual alerts, and potentially less distracting for drivers as well.
Some of the potential events listed by the patent as candidates for aroma-based notifications include an upcoming appointment, such as a doctor’s visit or lunch date, an anniversary, weather conditions, or even notification that vehicle maintenance may be required. Aroma-based notifications may also be used in conjunction with drive-thru restaurants to provide occupants with a preview of certain menu items, or to symbolize a specific geographic area through which the vehicle is driving.
Whether or not this system will see actual use remains to be seen, but either way, it’s certainly an interesting idea.
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Comments
British cars have been featuring this for over 100 years.
It’s a defining characteristic of their brand.
Filling the cabin with the “scent” of gas, oil and coolant.
Or they’d leave small amounts of the stuff on the driveway, as well, for “visual updates”.
Heck, even one better…Lucas components were legendary in their uncanny ability to emit “notification smoke” when something serious was about to happen.
Really ? “Smell” notifications ? Bwa-ha-ha-ha.
FART CAR
I can smell it now. That rotten egg smell until you buckle the seat belt, instead of the constant ding the ’23 Sierra HD’s have.
My luck, it will have both.
Aroma notifications for the “visually impaired” . Why are they driving in the first place?
autonomous vehicle
Wow! I get this astringent, antiseptic smell when I first start my 2023 Colorado Z71, in the morning (cold start). Not sure why. Does anyone else smell this on your truck?
British vehicles are known to smell and leak oil.
Totally useless. But you surely will be charged plenty for it.
For people with respiratory conditions like asthma, COPD, allergies, etc., this is definitely not a good idea. If it were to become an actual feature, it would have to be an optional one in which the owner would be able to turn it off permanently.
Same for people with neurological diseases like migraine, as some have certain scents as their episode trigger, and some get blind spots or lose their vision during episodes, or have stroke-like symptoms of temporary paralysis on one side of the body, or have vertigo, which obviously wouldn’t be good while driving.
Wonder if EVs with this, by stunning sheer coincidence, will need it serviced and recharged (by the dealer of course) at the same interval as oil changes in an ICE…
Smells like someone farted. Oh,that means it’s time to exit. 🙊🤣
Onstar: “Taco Bell up ahead in two miles”
*fart smells
Weird, my 2023 cadillac xt4 has a strong ammonia smell after first start. Gmn that’s not a good thing unless your trying to kill us…
Totally makes sense to me. A visually impaired person driving may not see a red spot on his DIC, but he’ll know that there’s a problem when he smells it- but what odor will GM use?
On a cross country road trip, will you smell crap every time you come up to a rest stop exit?
Sorry, but I think technology is already way overused. Big brother must be once again dictating what we want and need. It’s time to start shopping for a pre-OnStar 1/2 ton pickup truck
If they give you aromas of food when you’re in a neighborhood of restaurants, I wonder what driving through a red light district would smell like? 😆
Oh come on!
kids won’t be able to say it was the dog
As opposed to the smells of boiled antifreeze, burnt oil, burnt rubber, burnt brake etc. that normally tell you when things are going wrong?
I can see it now: forced food smells sponsored by companies like McDonald’s every time you’re near one of their locations/one is at the next exit! I wonder if they’d have the option for vegans to turn off the smells of beef and bacon?
Or maybe like how Tesla drivers can talk to each other, you can send smells to other GM vehicles. Guy cut you off? No problem, just fill his truck with the smell of a skunk!
So now if I say my GM car stinks, it really can.