Wearable AC gets cool

You may have already seen wearable cooling gadgets before. The concept isn't new. Using either small fans, sometimes combined with water reservoirs, or thermoelectric Peltier elements, cooling devices worn on the wrist or around the neck have been on the market since the turn of the century. At first, they were bulky and not too fashion-friendly. However, in more recent years, they are finally becoming more practical and reliable, not to mention slimmer and easier on the eyes. For example, consider the improvement in Japanese gadget brand Thanko's personal cooling devices released in 2015 (left) and 2019 (right):

© Kyodo News PR Wire (2015/07/06 | 2019/06/18)

There are also solutions which are designed to remain out of sight entirely, such as Sony's Reon Rocket which we introduced last year, a slim device which slips into a pocket just below the neck of a special T-shirt.


Cómodo gear

Now, Fujitsu General Ltd. has created a wearable neck-worn air-conditioning unit which is not only sleek, light, high-performing and well-designed, but will also, in versions now in development, comprise biometric sensing, monitoring and communication features. The device's name is: "Cómodo gear."

Initially intended for direct-to-business sales, the Cómodo gear, which uses ventilation, water cooling and Peltier elements to lower the wearer's temperature, will be provided to companies where employees work in the hot sun or in environments where air conditioning is unavailable, such as the security industry, construction industry, factories, and event venues. Fujitsu General will begin with direct-to-business sales in June 2020, and later expand their wearables division to allow full commercialization.

Characteristics

  • Efficiently lowers core body temperature by cooling blood flowing through the carotid artery
  • Slim and light construction: neck (cooling part) and waist element (radiator and battery)
  • Cooling effect maintained even at temperatures exceeding 35 C (95 F) (see thermography test images below)

Features in development

As you'll see in the promotional video below, Fujitsu is currently developing additional features for Cómodo gear such as:

  • Switching over to heating function
  • Controllable from a smartphone (through a custom app)
  • Sensing of vital signs
  • System linkage

They envisage applications in which companies are able to remotely manage employees' health in real-time as they work, with the Cómodo gear providing biometric data as well as communication through their smartphones connected by Bluetooth.

For more information, you can visit their product page here.


By - Ben K.