Ever seen a movie that stinks? This Israeli tech firm wants to make that literal

Autonomous driving, vegetarian robots among other Israeli ideas at the Consumer Electronics Show in Vegas

Has this ever happened to you? Israeli tech firm iRomaScents is hoping to help you avoid embarrassing situations with technology that will allow you to smell movies, TV shows and video games. Photo by iStock/GoodLifeStudio

By Adam Kovac January 9, 2023

Have you ever been watching a movie and had a burning desire to sniff Ryan Reynolds? An Israeli tech firm is working to make that a reality.

On Sunday, the annual Consumer Electronics Show wrapped up in Las Vegas. During the four-day expo, hundreds of companies showcased their wares, with products running from Elon Musk’s Boring Company demonstrating their supposed transport tunnel system of the future to the latest in smart home appliances. But Israeli firm iRomaScents may have had the most unusual ideas on display.

Founded in 2019, iRomaScents plans to introduce “the next generation of scented movies & commercials.” On its website, the company says it has plans for three applications of the technology. Retail applications will provide a “smarter way of shopping for fragrance,” the company says.

“Buying an aftershave today is a long process, at the end of which, after smelling several products, shoppers just give up and leave the store,” founder and CEO Avner Gal told CTech. “We are able to provide the consumer, according to their requirements and preferences, with the smell of the product that suits them best alongside three different alternatives, and the possibility that they will make a purchase is much higher.”

The other two applications will allow audiences and gamers to get more immersed than ever in movies, TV shows and video games. At last, film buffs will be able to smell the sweat as Tom Cruise runs through his next Mission: Impossible.

Although arguably the funkiest, iRomaScents was just one of dozens of Israeli tech firms on display at CES. Other companies included CORRactions, which produces tech that monitors subconscious movements to determine a person’s cognitive state; SavorEat, which offers on-demand vegetarian meals prepared by a robot chef; cutting-edge carseat company babyark, as well several autonomous driving technology and other mobility firms.

An official Israel Pavilion displayed the best of the country’s latest developments in artificial intelligence, vehicle safety, digital health and other technology.

Adam Kovac is a staff reporter at the Forward, covering breaking news. He can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter as @AdamJKovac.

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