Voice-Activated Robot Air Freshener Spreads Scents via Bubble

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By Vignesh Ramachandran2013-07-26 12:25:58 UTC

If you're cooped up inside an air-conditioned home this summer or your household air just feels stale, you're probably breaking out bottles of Febreze, burning scented candles or using those plug-in air fresheners. But for those who truly want home automation, Japanese engineers have developed a voice-activated air freshener.

This creative prototype device — called "FragWrap" — was designed by engineers at Keio University in Fujisawa, Japan, New Scientist reported. As explained in the video above, you tell the robot what fragrance you'd like, it listens to you and processes that scent, blowing it across a room in the form of a soap bubble. Once the bubble bursts, smaller fans reportedly spread that aroma out in different directions.

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The robot design is still not the most elegant design, but we presume future versions might be more compact. New Scientist reports that the researchers are going to demonstrate FragWrap at a ubiquitous computing conference in Switzerland later this year.

This is certainly an invention that shows interesting potential for how technology can interact with us in our homes. Maybe Rosey the robot, from The Jetsons, isn't such a far-fetched reality anymore.

What do you think about this voice-activated robot air freshener? Cool innovation or would it feed laziness? Share your thoughts in the comments.

Image: HT Media and System Lab

Topics: Adobe AIR, fragrance, Home, Lifestyle, Robot, voice activation