An Investigation of the Effects of Changes in the Indoor Ambient Temperature on Arousal Level, Thermal Comfort, and Physiological Indices

Abstract

Thermal factors not only affect the thermal comfort sensation of occupants, but also affect their arousal level, productivity, and health. Therefore, it is necessary to control thermal factors appropriately. In this study, we aim to design a thermal environment that improves both the arousal level and thermal comfort of the occupants. To this end, we investigated the relationships between the physiological indices, subjective evaluation values, and task performance under several conditions of changes in the indoor ambient temperature. In particular, we asked subjects to perform a mathematical task and subjective evaluation related to their thermal comfort sensation and drowsiness levels. Simultaneously, we measured their physiological parameters, such as skin temperature, respiration rate, electroencephalography, and electrocardiography, continuously. We investigated the relationship between the comfort sensation and drowsiness level of occupants, and the physiological indices. From the results, it was confirmed that changes in the indoor ambient temperature can improve both the thermal comfort and the arousal levels of occupants. Moreover, we proposed the evaluation indices of the thermal comfort and the drowsiness level of occupants using physiological indices.

Keywords

• thermal comfort
• arousal level
• physiological indices
• electroencephalography
• electrocardiography