Camera's can see, microphones can hear and sensors can touch- though science hasn't to date given us a device which can replicate the human sense of smell. That's why, even in today's modern world of vehicle manufacturing, the Swedes are using good old fashioned human olfactory organs to help define that all-important 'new car smell'.
Noses, to be exact.
In an effort to ensure a new Volvo will smell like a Volvo, the automaker has hired the services of eight specially selected people to help define the smell of a new Volvo. Known as the nose team, these folks are chosen for having a completely normal sense of smell. Their input helps designers choose materials and production methods with particular attention to the scent of the vehicle's interior.
"Different people have different perceptions of smells," says Patrik Libander, a test engineer with Volvo Cars and responsible for the smell test panel. "These are due to differences between generations and cultures, and to the different associations made by different people depending on their own experience. However, this is one of the things that makes my job exciting."
The panel sniffs interior components, and then rates the scent on a scale from 1 to 6- where 6 is unbearable and 1 is hardly noticed. To meet Volvo's standards, a maximum rating of 3 is acceptable.
"We impose strict demands both on ourselves and our suppliers," concludes Libander. "Travelling in a car should be a pleasant experience for the nose as well."
photo:Volvo
Noses, to be exact.
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In an effort to ensure a new Volvo will smell like a Volvo, the automaker has hired the services of eight specially selected people to help define the smell of a new Volvo. Known as the nose team, these folks are chosen for having a completely normal sense of smell. Their input helps designers choose materials and production methods with particular attention to the scent of the vehicle's interior.
"Different people have different perceptions of smells," says Patrik Libander, a test engineer with Volvo Cars and responsible for the smell test panel. "These are due to differences between generations and cultures, and to the different associations made by different people depending on their own experience. However, this is one of the things that makes my job exciting."
The panel sniffs interior components, and then rates the scent on a scale from 1 to 6- where 6 is unbearable and 1 is hardly noticed. To meet Volvo's standards, a maximum rating of 3 is acceptable.
"We impose strict demands both on ourselves and our suppliers," concludes Libander. "Travelling in a car should be a pleasant experience for the nose as well."
photo:Volvo