Researchers are claiming to have invented a new form of human/computer interaction after developing a machine that can fill bubbles with different smells and project images on to them.

The team at Bristol University describe SensaBubble as a “chrono-sensory mid-air display system” – a computer-controlled bubble cannon that fills soap bubbles with a particular scent and then fires them at a user, projecting a colour or display on to them in mid-air.

When the bubbles burst they release their scent which, combined with their size and colour, can display anything from a logo to a notification, email alert or an advert.

Powerful sense of smell

“The human sense of smell is powerful, but there are few research systems that explore and examine ways to use it. We have taken the first steps to explore how smell can be used to enhance and last longer in a visual object such as a soap bubble,” Sriram Subramanian, professor of Human-Computer Interaction in the Interaction and Graphics group at Bristol University said, describing the reasoning for building a sophisticated bubble gun.

The SensaBubble is able to create bubbles in three different sizes and frequencies, controlling their flight path, tracking their location in mid-air and projecting an image on to their surfaces using the opacity of the bubble as a screen.

It is designed to explore the concept of “chrono-sensory experiences” where information is presented in different layers hitting different senses like vision and smell for varying lengths of time.

Bubble clock, bubble maths, bubble ads

Subramanian, led researcher on the SensaBubble project, described several novel uses for the bubble gun display including a clock that displays the time by the number of scented bubbles released on the hour, or an educational game that teaches maths through bubbles with the smell of the bubbles indicating success.

SensaBubble could have immediate applications in advertising as well as certain forms of education, including museum exhibits and interactive displays, according to the Bristol University team.


The SensaBubble will presented at the Association for Computing Machinery's Computer Human Interaction conference in Toronto, Canada, one of the world’s most important human-computer interface conferences, between 26 April and 1 May.

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