Could AI bottle a memory? Engineering students take fragrance concept global

A single scent can transport you back to a meaningful moment in your life.

A team of University of Auckland engineering students has explored this connection between smell and memory, developing Mémoire – a concept that uses artificial intelligence to transform meaningful memories into bespoke fragrances.

Students Maadhav Arora, Nathaniel Brown and Mihir Ojas Rallapudi, known as Team MNM, took their idea from Auckland to Paris after winning the Australia and New Zealand National Finals of L’Oréal’s youth innovation competition, Brandstorm.

They then progressed through the international semi-finals to be selected as one of just six finalist teams worldwide, from more than 380,000 applications submitted by young innovators around the globe.  

The concept behind Mémoire is simple.

Users begin by uploading a photograph that holds personal significance. The AI platform then analyses the image’s emotional and contextual cues before generating a unique fragrance profile, creating a personalised scent designed to capture the essence of that memory.

For example, scanning a photograph of a forest clearing, the AI picked up on warm pine, wild violet, green moss, crushed fern, and a soft amber base, and built a bespoke fragrance around that.

Rallapudi says bringing Mémoire to life required more than just developing the technology.

The team also had to consider how the concept could become a real-world product, accounting for users' needs, sustainability, and the pathway from prototype to consumer experience.

"As engineers, we're trained to solve technical problems, but Mémoire pushed us to think about the full picture, from the emotional experience we wanted to create to how the product would actually reach people," he says.  

The concept was presented on the Purple Stage at VivaTech in Paris – Europe’s largest startup and technology event – where Team MNM showcased their work to an international audience of L’Oréal executives, industry leaders, investors and innovators.

The experience was "surreal," says Arora.

"It was a chance to show that engineers can operate right at the intersection of technology, creativity and consumer innovation, and that some of the most interesting problems sit outside the boundaries of a traditional engineering brief."

As an engineering student doing a science conjoint, Brown often gets down into the theory.

He says Brandstorm was a chance "to see how innovation operates around the globe from a variety of different perspectives and cultures".

L’Oréal funded the students’ travel to Paris, with additional support from the University of Auckland.

"It has been a highlight for our local L’Oréal teams to work closely with Maadhav, Nathaniel and Mihir to help refine their AI fragrance concept, Mémoire," says Daina Wilson, New Zealand Country Lead for L’Oréal.

"Watching them take this bold idea all the way to VivaTech in Paris is proof of the exceptional talent we have here in New Zealand."

Team MNM are the first New Zealand team to win the Australia and New Zealand National Finals since Brandstorm began more than 30 years ago, and the first Australia and New Zealand team to place in the Global Finals top six.

"We always say that life's too short for a boring career, and this team is the perfect example of that," says Wilson.

"At L'Oréal, we are always looking for passionate minds to disrupt the status quo and shape their own unique paths. Whether your background is engineering, science or marketing, there is space in our industry for everyone to make a real impact."