From a sweltering rush hour subway car to the unbearable chill of the office air conditioner, we often find ourselves in settings that are just too hot or too cold.
Now, a team of MIT-trained scientists has unveiled a ‘personal thermostat’ that could finally put an end to the discomfort.
In a similar effect to the age-old trick of putting an ice-cube on your wrist to cool down, or warming your hands on a hot mug, the Embr Wave wristband delivers a personalized temperature to the region, to keep you thermally comfortable.
A team of MIT-trained scientists has unveiled a ‘personal thermostat’ that could finally put an end to the discomfort. The Embr Wave wristband (pictured) delivers a personalized temperature to the region, to keep you thermally comfortable
The Embr Wave wristband is equipped with a thermoelectric tile that changes temperature when exposed to an electrical current.
It relies on the idea that adjusting the temperature of one spot on your body can improve your comfort as a whole, the Kickstarter page explains.
To warm up the wearer, the current creates heat waves as it goes into this plate, according to MIT News.
And, to cool down, it dissipates the heat with the help of its aluminium body.
‘Whenever you start feeling too warm or cold, you can activate Embr Wave for an instant shot of thermal relief,’ according to the team’s Kickstarter page.
‘By directly cooling or warming the temperature-sensitive skin on your wrist, it immediately recreates the chill of an ice cube on your skin in the summer or the warmth of your hands by the fireplace in the winter.’
Embr Wave has a flat aluminium top with a display that can be adjusted from red to blue.
This allows the wearer to control the cooling or warming sensation.
And, the researchers note, the wrist is one of the most thermally sensitive parts of the body.
The thermal sensations created by the wristband are ‘immediate, precise, and energy-efficient,’ according to the team, making for overall thermal comfort.
The Embr Wave wristband is equipped with a thermoelectric tile that changes temperature when exposed to an electrical current. It relies on the idea that adjusting the temperature of one spot on your body can improve your comfort as a whole
HOW EMBR WAVE WORKS
The Embr Wave wristband relies on the idea that adjusting the temperature of one spot on your body can improve your comfort as a whole.
And, the researchers note, the wrist is one of the most thermally sensitive parts of the body.
The temperature can be adjusted along a bar that goes from red to blue.
Using conduction and waves, Embr Wave delivers temperature waves directly to your skin, which prompts the nervous system’s rapid response.
The wristband is equipped with a thermoelectric tile that changes temperature when exposed to an electrical current.
To warm up the wearer, the current creates heat waves as it goes into this plate.
And, to cool down, it dissipates the heat with the help of its aluminium body.
The temperature can be adjusted along a bar that goes from red to blue, so you can find what works best for your situation.
Embr Wave also uses conduction and waves to deliver the new temperature directly to your skin, which prompts the nervous system’s rapid response.
While it’s billed a ‘personal thermostat,’ it’s more so geared toward creating a comfortable sensation, as opposed to achieving a specific temperature.
‘It’s less like a thermostat and more like a shower,’ said Embr Labs co-founder Sam Shames.
The wristband uses a rechargeable battery, which lasts upwards of 25 sessions on a single charge, according to the team
Embr Wave has a flat aluminium top with a display that can be adjusted from red to blue. This allows the wearer to control the cooling or warming sensation
‘No one knows what temperature their shower is. You just set it to the sensation that feels good.’
‘It’s a continuous spectrum,’ co-founder David Cohen-Tanugi adds.
‘You can incrementally adjust the sensation toward warm or cold until you find the sweet spot.’
The wristband uses a rechargeable battery, which lasts upwards of 25 sessions on a single charge, according to the team.