Autonomous Comfort Systems Via An Infrared-Fused Vision-Driven Robotic Systems

Robotic comfort systems have been developed which use fans to deliver heated/cooling air to building occupants to provide greater levels of personal comfort. However, current robotic systems rely on surveys asking individuals about their comfort state through a web interface or app. This reliance on user feedback becomes impractical due to survey fatigue on the part of the user. Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley have developed a system which uses a visible light camera located on the nozzle of a robotic fan to detect human facial features (e.g., eyes, nose, and lips). Images from a co-located thermal camera are then registered onto the visible light image and temperatures of different facial features are captured and used to infer the comfort state of the individual. Accordingly, the fan/heater system blows air with a specific velocity and temperature toward the occupant via a closed-loop feedback control. Since the system can track a person in an environment, it addresses issues with prior data collection systems that needed occupants to be positioned in a specific location. Laleh Shayesteh lalehs@berkeley.edu 510-642-4537