Topic: Modification of thermal comfort index based on dynamic thermal response and Investigation of effects of fan-attached jacket on thermal comfort
Project heads: Ryoga Hiroki and Do Ngoc Khanh
About the experiment
Thermal comfort (feeling hot, feeling cold) refers to human’s physiological and psychological responses to the surrounding environment. Understanding thermal comfort at outdoor spaces is necessary to develop sustainable cities. Thermal environment of outdoor spaces can change rapidly. Therefore, human thermal comfort also fluctuates. This study aims at clarifying this temporal change and proposing adaptive measures against potential health risks. For this purpose, subjects will be requested to put on wearable sensors (air temperature, wind speed, skin temperature, clothes temperature, and heart rate sensors) to detect physiological responses and asked about psychological sensations (for example, feeling hot or feeling cold) while staying indoor and walking outdoor.
＊Eligibility：
Ⅰ）Age： 20~29 years old
Ⅱ）Sex： Male and Female
Ⅲ）Other requirements：Must have lived in Japan for at least 3 months
＊Experiment/Survey Location：
Tokyo Institute of Technology, Ookayama Campus, Ishikawa-dai Area, please come Ishikawadai-4th building B1 floor
＊Date, Time, Duration of experiment/survey：
The experiment with subjects wearing normal clothing will be conducted in Tokyo Tech campus in September and December. The experiment with subjects wearing fan-attached jacket will be conducted only in September. The number of experimental days is 3 days per each month for a total of 6 days. In each day, two experiment sessions are conducted in the noon, and two more sessions are conducted in the evening. One session takes 120 min including preparation time (actual experiment time is 80 min). Note that there are two daytime sessions and two evening sessions in one day, but you cannot attend both daytime sessions or both evening sessions. Attending one daytime session and one evening session is allowed.
＊Economic Burden and Reward：
As remuneration for cooperating in the research, the participants will receive 1200 yen (equivalent) by Bank transfer. Participants will bear no supplementary expenses for the experiment. There is no transportation allowance for participants.
＊Protection of Personal Information：
Collected data will be anonymized with decoding index.
Varquez Laboratory of the School of Environmental and Society will store and manage the data, so the subjects’ personal information will not be leaked.
＊Disclosure of Research Materials：
We will, whenever requested, explain the appropriateness of research results published in papers, etc., with scientific evidence, and disclose data as necessary.
＊Risk, Burden and Benefit：
Subjects will be requested to spend approximately 120 minutes to participate in the experiment. The expected risk is heat stroke due to 20 minutes of walking outdoors. As a countermeasure, we advise subjects to drink sufficient amounts of water and taking mineral supply. In addition, experiment will be stopped if the subjects feel unwell.
＊Publication Method：
We will analyze the data anonymously and publish the results in journals and/or conferences. Your data will be used for research purposes only and will not be revealed to any third party.
＊Cancellation and Post-Research Procedures：
Collected specimen and data will be destroyed after a request of retraction is received. However the data that has already been made public cannot be destroyed.
＊Remarks
Some measurement devices will be attached directly to your skin using medical tapes. Please wear short sleeves and short pants as much as possible in September. also Female subjects will be assisted by a female staff member.
Register here
https://calendly.com/ryogahiroki/thermal_comfort_experiment
This experiment was approved by Human Subjects Research Ethics Review Committee (ID: 2023158)
English 
日本語