Wearable Cooling and Heating Patch Could Serve as Personal Thermostat and Save Energy

Engineers at the University of California San Diego have developed a wearable patch that could provide personalized cooling and heating at home, work, or on the go.

The soft, stretchy patch cools or warms a user’s skin to a comfortable temperature and keeps it there as the ambient temperature changes. It is powered by a flexible, stretchable battery pack and can be embedded in clothing. Researchers say wearing it could help save energy on air conditioning and heating.

“This type of device can improve your personal thermal comfort whether you are commuting on a hot day or feeling too cold in your office,” said Renkun Chen, a professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at UC San Diego who led the study. The patch is made of thermoelectric alloys—materials that use electricity to create a temperature difference and vice versa—sandwiched between stretchy elastomer sheets.

Read more at University of California San Diego

Image Credit: David Baillot

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