Nikon, a major player in the professional camera space, hasn’t been much of a blip on the mobile scene’s radar in recent history. A few Android powered cameras and supplying cameras for some other manufacturers’ devices is about the extent of their involvement in the Android scene and indeed, the mobile scene in general. After a fairly long period of relative inactivity, it seems that Nikon is making preparations to get their feet wet in the smartwatch sphere. A new patent application points to a smartwatch capable of dispensing fragrances, although there isn’t a whole lot of other information given. The mystery smartwatch could have other possibilities, but the fragrance capability, as the most off-the-wall piece of the puzzle, may be the headline feature.
The patent application came with an image of the front of the smartwatch, shown above. The device in question shows a fully circular display, a la the Moto 360. A dial and a few buttons are also shown, though their functions are not explained, leaving us to guess at their purpose. The fragrance capability is the only real standout feature here, since the functions, attributes and OS aren’t detailed. Although details are not given, it’s presumable that the fragrances would come via user-replaceable liquid cartridges, similar to e-cigarettes. It is possible, of course, that a universal fragrance cartridge may be involved, with software in charge of mixing the different fragrance chemicals to recreate scents. The patent does state that the watch will be able to release fragrance automatically based on time and place, or the age and gender of the user and others nearby via face detection.
A release date or other plans for the proposed smartwatch weren’t disclosed, or even if they actually plan to use this patent or if it’s just an idea they want to keep for themselves. Should the smartwatch come to fruition, it could bring innovation to the smartwatch space in new ways, should it meet with commercial success. Strange and innovative features coming to the mainstream may shake up an otherwise fairly established status quo in the rather young smartwatch market.