** finalists for @FastCompany’s 2017 World Changing Ideas! #WCIAwards **
**Dubai Design Week 2018 Global Grad Show - Top 10 in show**
** TOP 100 FINALIST IN DESIGN INTELLIGENCE AWARDS 2017 **
**Dubai Design Week 2018 Global Grad Show - Top 10 in show**
** TOP 100 FINALIST IN DESIGN INTELLIGENCE AWARDS 2017 **
Featured on Engadget, TheMarySue, PrattNews
The problem of individual temperature comfort everywhere affects people all over the world. REheat is a suite of products that create mobile individualized microclimates to facilitate environmental temperature comfort anywhere, anytime.
In my day-to-day life, I observed unnecessary heat losses and gains over and over again in different environments, age groups, times of the day, times of the year, and locations in the world. I observed family members opening windows during the winter, and then consuming more energy to reverse a room’s temperature back when it became too cold. The current one-temperature-fits-all approach that exists in all of the spaces in the modern world forces us to sit in discomfort and waste energy in our homes and from our bodies. I saw a clear design and engineering opportunity when no functional solution was found to exist that regulates and maintains the body temperature of individuals in a way that is connected with human needs and that reuses lost human resources.
PROBLEM
NEED
INTRODUCING REHEAT
The products on the market that work to heat and cool individuals all were focused on extreme applications. I saw the opportunity to create a product focused on the everyday. REheat gives added comfort anywhere, anytime, in any temperature without the user always having to over-prepare. With REheat you are actually recycling your own body heat and energy. This system can considerably reduce energy consumption (possible 5% to 15% reduction of HVAC system use) due to heating and cooling. With a back up power source and comfort testing, it works better than existing wearables and existing central HVAC systems. REheat does not require any significant lifestyle changes, and gives visual feedback about how the suit is being powered. It also works automatically to adjust to an optimal temperature and enables a manually override of the temperature settings, unlike both HVAC systems and existing wearable heating and cooling garments.
PRIMARY RESEARCH
SECONDARY RESEARCH - MARKET RESEARCH
IDEATION AND PROTOTYPING
FINAL DESIGN
SECONDARY RESEARCH - PHYSIOLOGY BACKGROUND
Both the undergarment set and/or patch system pair with an accompanying application that gives the user a visualization of the product working and allows the user to manually-override the automatic temperature settings. Without the application the user would likely never notice that the products are working - they would just feel comfortable. The application is not necessary for most users but is valuable for demonstrating the value and functionality of the products.
With a temperature sensor embedded in the undergarment and patch system, the application allows users to set their own ideal temperature within the optimal range. Based on this temperature, the suit automatically turns on back-up heaters or coolers if necessary. It gives feedback to let you know how much you are powering the suit yourself. It also collects data to optimize your temperature settings based on your location or assigned presets.
Interviewing quadriplegics and researching the effects of their injury demonstrated the importance of visual feedback and manual override control of the suit’s temperature.
With a temperature sensor embedded in the undergarment and patch system, the application allows users to set their own ideal temperature within the optimal range. Based on this temperature, the suit automatically turns on back-up heaters or coolers if necessary. It gives feedback to let you know how much you are powering the suit yourself. It also collects data to optimize your temperature settings based on your location or assigned presets.
Interviewing quadriplegics and researching the effects of their injury demonstrated the importance of visual feedback and manual override control of the suit’s temperature.
