Aroma Alchemist

Problem

A digital scent system needs repeatable dosing, a usable interface, and a delivery mechanism that can mix multiple scent channels without turning the prototype into an unmanageable plumbing project.

Description

What I built or investigated

Aroma Alchemist is an ESP32-S3 touchscreen prototype exploring controlled fragrance delivery through atomizers, heated wicks, servo valves, duty-cycle mixing, and guided recipes.

Iterations

The work did not happen in one jump.

1. 01

   Brought up the 240×320 capacitive touchscreen and built the operator interface in LVGL.

2. 02

   Reworked labels and layouts after early screens overflowed or hid important controls.

3. 03

   Added action sounds and then chased I2S compatibility issues across ESP32 Arduino core versions.

4. 04

   Evaluated atomizers, heated-wick tubes, and servo-controlled routing rather than locking into the first mechanical concept.

5. 05

   Designed around the unusually limited exposed GPIO on the selected display board.

Result

Where the project landed

A functional embedded UI and hardware architecture with the remaining work concentrated in the physical scent-delivery and calibration system.

Lessons

What carried forward

• The most visually impressive interface cannot compensate for inconsistent dosing.
• Board-package and library versions are part of the hardware design when audio and displays depend on them.
• Mechanical architecture should be selected by repeatability and cleaning requirements, not novelty.

Images & evidence

Work in context