Sensory Libraries
Subject
There is No "Smell Pixel"
There is no way to interpolate between two smell molecules. True, odors can be mixed together to form millions of scents. But the world’s smells can’t be broken down into just a few numbers on a gradient; there is no “smell pixel.” Think of it this way: colors and sounds can be measured with rulers, but odors must be looked up in a dictionary.
Similarity
Object
The Sensory Database
Both technological sensors and enhanced biological senses come equipped with databases of scanned “signatures” that make it easier to identify whatever the user is sensing (in the case of bioware, these databases are stored and accessed via the character’s mesh inserts). For example, infrared sensors feature databases listing the heat signatures of different animals and items, making it easier to identify such…
Why they relate
Vision and hearing are analog, but smell references a library. Cybernetic senses would also be linked to a library to explain what the user is sensing.