Device Uses Ultrasound to Stimulate Olfactory Bulb and Create Smells

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 18:43:00 +0200

A team of independent researchers has developed a device capable of producing the sensation of various smells without the use of chemical cartridges. The device works by directing focused ultrasound through the skull to stimulate the olfactory bulb directly, bypassing the nose entirely. The team, consisting of Lev Chizhov, Albert Yan-Huang, Thomas Ribeiro, and Aayush Gupta, combined expertise in neurotechnology, computation, neural systems, software engineering, and AI to create this technology. One major challenge was the physical location of the olfactory bulb and the difficulty of directing ultrasound through air and irregular surfaces. Their solution involved positioning the emitter on the forehead with a gel-like pad to ensure stability and comfort, using MRI scans to precisely target the olfactory bulb. Tests with the device reportedly produced a range of scents including fresh air with high oxygen, garbage reminiscent of decaying fruit, an ozone-like smell, and the aroma of a ca