Overview
Maintaining thermal comfort in shared indoor environments remains an ongoing challenge. Conventional heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems are slow to respond and typically optimized for population averages rather than individual needs. These systems also contribute significantly to energy consumption and carbon emissions.
Heatables introduces a fundamentally different approach by providing localized, low-power optical heating through in-ear wearables. Leveraging the ear’s rich vascularization and its proximity to thermoregulatory centers, the project investigates how subtle, targeted thermal stimulation can elicit a broader perceptual effect of warmth throughout the body. This work positions the ear as a promising site for efficient, perception-driven thermal feedback.
Our Goal
The primary objective of Heatables is to understand how localized infrared stimulation in the ear canal can influence whole-body thermal perception, comfort, and cognitive performance. The project aims to establish empirical evidence for:
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The perceptual coupling between localized and systemic thermal experience,
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The feasibility of in-ear thermal interfaces as components of personal comfort systems, and
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The absence of adverse effects on cognition and user comfort during extended use.
Long-term, Heatables contributes to the development of adaptive thermal technologies that enhance well-being while reducing the energy footprint of environmental conditioning.
