Development and Evaluation of a Low-Energy Consumption Wearable Wrist Warming Device

摘要

Today in Japan, comfortable lifestyle and environment realized by abundant electric power is beingquestioned by energy consumption reduction policiescalled “cool biz” in summer, and “warm biz” in winter. One reason of these policies is the bad energyconsumption efficiency of current air-conditioning systems that cool or warm indirectly human body. Several researches have been investigating the effect ofdirect human body cooling and warming. However,most proposed solutions focus on direct head or neckcooling, using ice to cool a water circulating system,such temperature during use cannot be controlled accurately nor adapted to user and environment conditions. Recently, a Japanese research team developed aportable system using Peltier elements that can bothcool and warm neck. Though cooling was demonstrated to affect positively both physiological and psychological state in summer heat environment, in coldclimate it could be confirmed for only neck warming but not feet and hands. In our objective of developing effective energy saving technology for directtemperature-conditioning of human body, and in order to reduce the discomfort caused by body chillness, we have proposed and developed a Peltier element based wrist-mounted wearable device that directly warms human body. A first experimental studyshowed how wrist warming rhythm affects hyperthermic sensation. Then, we verified whether the thermal sensation of the body, including the extremities,is improved by changing the position where the wristis warmed.