A New System for the Analysis of Thermal Judgments

We report a new system for monitoring sensations of many body parts as well as comprehensively showing the distribution of overall skin temperature (Tsk) and temperature-related sensations. The system consists of a console with 52 levers to report temperature-related sensations and software that facilitates the visualization of the distribution of Tsk and temperature-related sensations by displaying them on a model of the human body. The system's utility was demonstrated with a physiological experiment involving three males and three females. They were exposed to step changes of ambient temperature from 23°C to 33°C. We measured Tsk at 50 points, and the subjects concurrently provided estimates of local temperature sensation and thermal comfort/discomfort at 25 loci. This system greatly facilitates the perception and analysis of spatial relationships and differences in temperature and sensation in various areas of the body.