United States. A group of engineering students from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) created a thermoelectric bracelet that allows to regulate the body temperature of heat and cold, depending on the circumstances.
The bracelet that bears the name of Wristify sends impulses according to the waves of cold or hot air. The sensitivity of human skin allows it to quickly detect sudden changes in temperature. In this way, the future engineers found that heating or cooling any part of the body to 1°C per second, for five seconds, could make the whole body feel a few degrees more heat or cold in a minute.
The base panel is composed of copper and alloys, and functions as a heat sink. It has an automatic control that stabilizes the intensity and duration of the thermal impulses that are supplied to the heat sink. The thermometers that are installed measure both the outside and the body temperature, to achieve an adequate adjustment that will result in a pleasant thermal sensation for the user.
It works with a lithium polymer battery that lasts approximately eight hours.
The invention received a prize from the Materials Design and Realization Engineering Competition for US$10,000, which will be invested in the improvement of the piece.
