Around the Net
Sensors in Desk Chairs Controlling Temperature
- Wired, Wednesday, December 9, 2015 10:05 AM
The forever war over the office thermostat has a new beachhead: the “Comfort Suite” at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, where researchers are chasing detente between the half of the office that wants the air conditioning on maximum and the other half shivering in their cubicles, huddled under sweaters, pointing their toes toward wan little electric heaters. In the suite—actually a 250 square-foot office simulator in NREL’s Golden, Colo. headquarters—engineers and ergonomics specialists are testing all kinds of technologies to see if they can improve comfort while reducing the energy an office building uses. Desk chairs warm up and cool down in seconds, controlled via a smart phone app. Infrared cameras show when someone’s fingers are starting to chill. Sensors track the concentration of carbon dioxide as 20 registers alternately blast hot and cold air at pretend-office workers.
