TOKYO

DM

The first prototype of what's been dubbed the 'smelliphone' has been shown off by Japanese firm ChatPerf.

In a video on DigInfoTV, ChatPerf demonstrates the Scentee device, which can be attached to smartphones and used to send smells to friends. The company claim it can also be used to create atmospheric scents while playing games or watching films, for example.

ChatPerf PR Manager Aki Yamaji said: 'Suppose you want to send a message to a friend via a social network, maybe because you know your friend it tired.

'You can use [the Scentee] to send a relaxing scent along with your message. You can also use it to add a scent to the notification sound whenever you get a new email.'

The company also thinks the Scentee could be used with games. For example, shooting games could come with a gunpowder scent. Or games like Candy Crush Saga could produce a sugary, sweet smell during gameplay.

ChatPerf plans to sell different scents in small plastic tanks. These tanks can be fitted to the underneath of the Scentee, and can be swapped around depending on what smell you want to send. The Scentee is plugged into the phone using the phone's connector.

To send a smell the sender clicks the Puff button on the screen. The recipient's Scentee lights up and a 'puff' of scent is released from a hole on the right-hand side of the connected device.

The company has already released an SDK that links applications and devices, and is hoping that developers will use this kit to start developing apps that use the technology.

The prototype uses a 30-pin dock connector compatible with Apple devices up to the iPhone 4S. It does not have the Lightning connector seen on the iPhone 5 yet, nor is there an Android version available. Yamaji hopes that the Android version will be released in September and will plug into the phone's earphone jack.