Electronic Patch Could Someday Help Keep Your Cool, Literally
I've been waiting for this for years !
If you're one of those people who have a tricky internal thermostat, technology may soon give you a hand, in the form of a high-tech patch.
Engineers at the University of California San Diego say their soft, flexible patch they've developed can cool you down if you're too hot, and make you feel warm when the temperature drops.
With an eye on someday embedding the tech into "smart clothing", and helping people and businesses save on utility bills, the researchers' findings have been published in the journal Science Advances.
Unlike other devices currently on the market, this patch requires no water or fans -- instead it uses varying flows of electricity to warm or cool a person down.
A prototype of the device was woven into an armband worn by a male subject. When the ambient temperature was changed from 71.6 degrees Fahrenheit all the way to nearly 97 degrees, it kept the wearer's skin stable at a pre-set 89.6 degrees.
The engineers say regulating an individual's temperature is far more efficient than having to raise or lower a building's temperature.