Scentient is creating a wearable product to augment digital immersive experiences by incorporating scents. It syncs with VR headsets to produce the right scent at the right time, allowing users to be able to smell what they see.
The aim of this project was to rapidly transition the wearable from pilot test units to reliable, scalable production.
Industrial Design
Engineering Development
Design for Manufacture
Compliance
Pilot deployment
We re-imagined the product form, translating Scentient’s previous prototype into a refined device ready for real-world trials and scaled production. Our work focused on user comfort, fit, and aesthetic quality, balancing sleek industrial design with practical constraints like airflow direction, neck ergonomics, and intuitive user interactions.
Our team worked on both mechanical and electronic refinement to enable stable and test-ready pilot units. This included redesigning electronic architecture, optimising PCB layout, expanding functionality through firmware, and specifying all components for manufacturability and assembly.
We advanced Scentient’s scent pod technology to support reliable scent delivery, refillability during pilot phases, and future scale-up. Activities included redesigning pod geometry for injection moulding. Improving atomising reliability and evolving the refill method for controlled servicing.
Following design refinement and pre-compliance development, we transitioned into low-volume manufacturing to build the first round of units for pilot deployment. This included sourcing mechanical and electronic components, managing suppliers, refining assembly workflows, and hand-building units to ensure consistency and quality.
Given the novel nature of the product, we collaborated with Scentient to plan a responsible route to market. We defined pilot-phase risk assessments, pre-compliance testing pathways, and safe-use protocols to support controlled early deployment, ensuring a compliant introduction to the market.
