If someone was to ask you to describe what a typical air conditioning unit was like, you’d be forgiven for not thinking – if you’ll forgive the pun – too much outside the box. You might describe something like a square shaped unit, possibly mounted on a wall, or in the ceiling. Imagine for a moment though that you were then asked to describe an air conditioning unit you could wear, what would you say?
The answer to such a question is currently in development by a group of students from MIT. Working in their own setup named ‘embr labs’ the team have created a prototype model of wearable bracelet, which acts as a portable, personal air conditioner. Aptly, named ‘Wristify’ it can cool or warm the wearer depending on what they prefer.
Trying to Please Everyone
Sam Shames, one of the lead inventors on the team, suggested how the idea was borne out of the group’s desire to have a comfortable working environment. Some were finding conditions too hot and some too cold, which was detrimental to their productivity.
After taking a look at the way the human body perceives and reacts to different temperatures, the foundations of the Wristify project were laid down. Shames explained:
‘The human body and human skin is not like a thermometer. If I put something cold directly on your body at a constant temperature, the body acclimates and no longer perceives it as cold.’
How Does it Work?
Strictly speaking, Wristify doesn’t technically work in the same way as a typical air conditioning unit, its description is based around the physiological effect it has on the human body.
The bracelet works thermoelectrically and sends hot or cold pulses through the wearer’s wrist to essentially make our bodies think they are a certain temperature.
Award Winning Design
Despite still being in the early development stages, the device was awarded first place at MIT’s annual competition for Science and Engineering and the team has enjoyed a $10,000 prize. However, Wristify is still a long way off becoming something we might find on the high-street. The team are still working on making the device safe and reliable, which is expected to take quite a while.
In the meantime, tried and tested air conditioning units continue to be as popular as ever thanks to their reliability and efficient climate control. Have a look online at what we can offer you here at Pure Air Conditioning.