Sweat Detection with Thermal Imaging for Automated Climate Control and Individual Thermal Comfort in Vehicles

Diana Schif, Ulrich Theodor Schwarz, Holger Forst

2020

Abstract

In addition to autonomous driving, the automation of comfort functions is currently one of the development focuses of the automotive industry. In particular, the automation of the climate function is considered, as manual operation often leads to distraction from the driving task. In order to implement this automation, various data about the vehicle interior and the occupants are needed. Besides interior temperature, gender or air speed, the sweat status of the occupants is relevant. In this work it is examined to what extent the sweat status can be detected with the help of a thermal imaging camera. The aim is to show if it is possible to distinguish the status not sweating, shortly before sweating and sweating using thermal imaging. For this the part of the thermal image showing the forehead is analyzed. More specifically, the difference between minimum and maximum temperature is compared for the different sweat statuses. At an ambient air temperature of 21 °C the thermal comfort level and sweat status of 20 subjects is inquired and skin temperature is measured by a thermal camera during sport activity. Results indicate that there is a significant difference (p < 0.05) between status not sweating and shortly before sweating and also between status not sweating and sweating. Sweat can therefore be detected with the help of thermal imaging cameras. This result provides important input for automated air conditioning. If sweat is detected for one or more occupants, then with the climate control a corresponding regulation can take place to dry the sweat and to prevent further sweating.

Paper Citation

in Harvard Style

Schif D., Schwarz U. and Forst H. (2020). Sweat Detection with Thermal Imaging for Automated Climate Control and Individual Thermal Comfort in Vehicles.In Proceedings of the 6th International Conference on Vehicle Technology and Intelligent Transport Systems - Volume 1: VEHITS, ISBN 978-989-758-419-0, pages 425-431. DOI: 10.5220/0009324004250431

in Bibtex Style

@conference{vehits20,
author={Diana Schif and Ulrich Schwarz and Holger Forst},
title={Sweat Detection with Thermal Imaging for Automated Climate Control and Individual Thermal Comfort in Vehicles},
booktitle={Proceedings of the 6th International Conference on Vehicle Technology and Intelligent Transport Systems - Volume 1: VEHITS,},
year={2020},
pages={425-431},
publisher={SciTePress},
organization={INSTICC},
doi={10.5220/0009324004250431},
isbn={978-989-758-419-0},
}

in EndNote Style

TY - CONF

JO - Proceedings of the 6th International Conference on Vehicle Technology and Intelligent Transport Systems - Volume 1: VEHITS,
TI - Sweat Detection with Thermal Imaging for Automated Climate Control and Individual Thermal Comfort in Vehicles
SN - 978-989-758-419-0
AU - Schif D.
AU - Schwarz U.
AU - Forst H.
PY - 2020
SP - 425
EP - 431
DO - 10.5220/0009324004250431