Multi-Sensory Media Experiences

The way we experience the world is based on our five senses, which allow us unique and often surprising sensations of our environment. Interactive technologies are mainly stimulating our senses of vision and hearing, partly our sense of touch, and the sense of taste and smell are widely under-exploited. There is however a growing international interest of the film, video, and game industries in more immersive viewing and gaming experiences. In the 20th century there was a demand for a controllable way to describe colours that initiated intense research on the descriptions of colours and substantially contributed to advances in computer graphics, image processing, photography and cinematography. Similarly, the 21st century now demands an investigation of touch, taste, and smell as sensory interaction modalities to enhance media experiences.