Design of a Stitched Textile-Based Thermal Actuator Garment to Attenuate Peripheral Microclimate Experience

Temperature is an important influencer of homeostatic comfort for humans, and its influence extends beyond life-preservation functions into cognitive and emotional effects. To augment metabolic processes in cold climates, many on-body heating solutions are currently available in the commercial market, ranging from chemical heat packs to electrically heated accessories and clothing. These products typically prioritize heating the body core in extreme conditions. By contrast, the experience of thermal comfort in the band around homeostatic comfort temperatures is much more strongly driven by experience of temperature in the body’s periphery: the hands, feet, and face [1]. Thermal sensitivity is highest in the distal extremities and has been established as the best correlate of overall perception of thermal comfort [2], [3]. In the medical context, this is especially significant in treating vasospastic disorders such as Raynaud’s Syndrome, where a spastic vascular response in peripheral vessels results in an over-reaction to cold temperatures proximal to the thermoneutral zone [4].