At Aalto University, researchers are developing a system where users control a drone remotely using body movements on a VR treadmill. They receive real-time 360° video and haptic feedback, translating drone maneuvers into vibrations. This Aalto University and Technology Innovation Institute (TII) collaboration creates a human-machine interaction testbed for 6 Degrees of Freedom (6 DoF) real-time immersion, aiming to realize the Internet of Senses (Aalto University). Users feel distinct vibrations on the treadmill, directly linking to the drone's movements and offering a tangible connection to a distant machine.
Current online shopping primarily engages consumers visually and auditorily, limiting product interaction. However, the Internet of Senses (IoS) is poised to integrate touch, taste, and smell into digital platforms. This will fundamentally alter how consumers interact with products and brands, creating tension between traditional e-commerce and multisensory digital engagement.
Companies mastering multisensory digital engagement will gain a significant competitive advantage. Those that lag risk being left behind. Effective integration of haptic and olfactory experiences will soon make remote product interaction as compelling, and potentially more manipulative, than physical presence. This forces brands to rethink digital persuasion.
What is the Internet of Senses?
The Internet of Senses (IoS) is a future framework where digital devices replicate human senses: touch, taste, and smell. This extends beyond current visual and auditory interactions. It integrates advanced sensor technology, haptic feedback, and AI for immersive digital experiences. The Aalto University and Technology Innovation Institute (TII) collaboration exemplifies this with a human-machine interaction testbed (Aalto University).
This testbed enables remote control of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) with 6 Degrees of Freedom (6 DoF) real-time immersion. The UAV uses a 360° camera, IoT sensors, and a 5G modem for real-time data. Users operate the UAV via body movements on a VR treadmill, receiving a live 360° video stream. Haptic feedback on the treadmill translates drone movements into distinct vibrations, allowing users to "feel" the drone's trajectory. This capability moves beyond simple screen interactions, forging a deeper, more intuitive connection between operators and remote machines.
Consumer Expectations and the Sensory Gap
Consumers expect digital interactions to vastly expand beyond current capabilities, signaling significant demand for the Internet of Senses. By 2026, 59% of consumers are expected to believe VR goggles will visualize routes to places they consider visiting (Commercial Integrator). 45% of consumers think a device could soon make food taste like any desired flavor, extending to intimate sensory experiences.
Despite these high expectations, digital purchasing lacks multisensorial product interaction. Online platforms rely on visual and auditory data, omitting touch, smell, and taste—senses critical for real-world buying decisions. This gap prevents consumers from evaluating textures, materials, or aromas, creating a barrier to immersion and informed decisions. The absence of these cues diminishes online purchase confidence.
This consumer anticipation, combined with current digital limitations, creates a clear market demand for IoS. Brands bridging this sensory gap will satisfy a growing desire for richer digital engagements, transforming product marketing and sales. Simulating product qualities like texture and smell online will directly address a major e-commerce hurdle, offering a more complete pre-purchase experience.
Market Reality Versus Advanced Research
A tension exists between the Internet of Senses' current market valuation and research sophistication. The GCC region's IoS market was estimated at $36.03 Million in 2024 (Market Research Future). This contrasts with Aalto University's cutting-edge 6 DoF real-time immersion with haptic feedback. This discrepancy suggests the market either undervalues these technologies' commercial potential or that research outpaces scalable consumer applications.
Immediate commercial IoS applications in retail may not require complex 6 DoF haptics. Simpler replication of persuasive senses like smell and taste offers a faster path. Research shows scents in physical environments increase purchase intent by 80% (Future of Marketing Institute), highlighting the psychological power of a single sense, which IoS can exploit digitally. Brands failing to integrate haptic and olfactory feedback risk losing to competitors who digitally replicate this 80% increase (onlinelibrary). While complex haptics for remote control are long-term, simulating product textures and material qualities online via simpler haptics and olfactory experiences offers an immediate, impactful e-commerce pathway. This addresses a key gap in digital retail.
The Market Opportunity and Brand Impact
The Internet of Senses market in the GCC region, currently $36.03 Million in 2024, is projected for substantial growth. Market Research Future forecasts expansion to $132.95 Million by 2035, with a 12% CAGR from 2025-2035. This steady growth, coupled with consumer belief that devices will soon replicate taste and immersive routes, suggests massive untapped demand that could accelerate adoption.
The transformative impact on brand engagement stems from sensory stimulation's power. Digitally replicating experiences like the 80% increase in purchase intent from physical scents (Future of Marketing Institute) offers brands immense opportunity. Early investment in IoS technologies, especially for powerful senses like smell and touch, provides a strong competitive edge. This leads to enhanced customer engagement, increased conversion rates, and a stronger brand presence, recasting how products are perceived and purchased online.
What are the key technologies enabling the Internet of Senses?
The Internet of Senses is enabled by several core technologies. These include advanced haptic actuators that create tactile sensations, specialized olfactory interfaces for simulating smells, and gustatory interfaces designed to replicate tastes. High-speed, low-latency communication networks like 5G and future 6G are critical for transmitting complex sensory data in real-time, while artificial intelligence processes and renders these multisensory experiences seamlessly.
How will the Internet of Senses change how we interact with brands?
The Internet of Senses will transform brand interaction by allowing consumers to virtually "touch and feel" products online, smell fragrances before purchase, or even taste food samples remotely. This immersive interaction will enable brands to offer highly personalized experiences, such as virtual try-ons that convey fabric textures or remote demonstrations that simulate product usage more realistically. Brands can build stronger emotional connections by engaging multiple senses, making digital persuasion far more potent than current visual-only methods.
What are the ethical considerations of the Internet of Senses?
The widespread adoption of the Internet of Senses raises notable ethical concerns, particularly regarding data privacy and potential manipulation. Collecting and analyzing sensory data could lead to unprecedented levels of personal profiling, while the ability to digitally stimulate senses might be exploited for hyper-persuasive advertising, blurring the lines between reality and simulation. Additionally, issues like sensory overload, digital addiction, and the potential for a new digital divide based on access to these advanced technologies require careful consideration and robust regulatory frameworks.
By 2026, companies like L'Oréal, already exploring augmented reality for beauty products, face increased pressure to integrate haptic feedback for virtual makeup application and olfactory cues for fragrance sampling in their digital platforms. Brands prioritizing these immersive sensory experiences will be better positioned to capture a larger share of the evolving digital market, establishing new benchmarks for online consumer engagement and digital persuasion.
