Olfactory Interaction Zones

Spontaneous interaction among humans and things in pervasive computing systems is often based on the spatial outreach to which an entity can interact with another entity, often referred to as ”zone of interaction”. Usually technological sensors for proximity and distance, like radio, ultrasound or microwave, are used to perceive and track the presence, activity and utterance of entities in the vicinity. This paper proposes the exploitation of the ”natural” zone of interaction based on the dispersed odor of entities. Much like the emission of radio signals with spatial decay from the center of radiation, the evaporation of natural (perspiration) or artificial (perfume) odors spawn spatial zones of interaction with spatial, but also temporal decay. Gas sensors or electronic noses can serve as the technological means for the olfactory perception of zones of interaction. We introduce ”Olfactory Interaction Zones” and outline how olfactory perception enriches the design space for spontaneous interaction in pervasive computing.