Investigating and Validating On-body Temperature Sensors for Personal Heat Exposure Tracking

Individuals and communities around the world are increasingly exposed to extreme heat as a result of climate change. Urban residents are particularly vulnerable to extreme heat due to the urban heat island effect. However, understanding an individual’s heat exposure and risk is difficult to assess due to variations in temperature within an urban environment. In this paper, we examine the potential for wearable temperature sensors to accurately measure personal heat exposure. We synthesize literature from fields spanning urban planning to public health and present the results of a user study validating a set of four commonly used off-the-shelf temperature sensors in two different urban settings across five on-body locations. Our investigation found that wearable temperature sensors are less reliable in highly urban areas and when worn in direct sunlight. We discuss important design considerations for wearable temperature sensors and identify actionable ways to improve future studies.