Skin temperature and comfort: The temperature of the skin on the face and hands is strongly linked to a person’s sense of comfort, new research suggests. The findings, published in Energy and Built Environment, are based on a review of 172 studies conducted since 2000.
Researchers identified the forehead and cheeks, as well as the chest and back, as body areas that are especially sensitive to temperature changes and relatively easy to monitor, making them valuable sites for practical applications.
“This knowledge can help design safer, healthier and more sustainable spaces,” said John Calautit, associate professor in the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Nottingham and lead author of the study. He added that “smarter building technologies can use this physiological data to automatically deliver comfortable, energy-efficient environments with minimal input from occupants.”
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The review found that targeted cooling of the chest or back improved comfort more effectively than localised heating. It also revealed that sensitivity to temperature differs among groups: older adults tend to be less responsive to warmth, raising their risk of overheating, while women are generally more sensitive to changes.
Climate background was another factor, with people from warmer regions responding differently than those from cooler environments. This, the researchers said, highlights the need for tailored approaches to thermal comfort across populations.
The review also explored the possibility of combining deep learning and video technology to predict people’s comfort levels, potentially reducing reliance on subjective surveys.
