OSAKA, Japan — Panasonic Corp. announced it has developed a thermal sensation estimation method using the infrared array sensor Grid-EYE capable of recognizing a person’s thermal comfort, to enable individualized air conditioning.

The thermal sensation estimation method is a unique technology designed to recognize the human sensations of hot and cold by calculating heat loss based on the difference between human surface temperature and ambient temperature. Panasonic’s thermal sensing solution consists of a super-resolution algorithm using Grid-EYE, an infrared array sensor, to detect the human body and objects and measure the temperature distribution in detail, thereby achieving air conditioning suitable for the temperature perceived by that person. In addition, Panasonic has developed unique software that maximizes performance for various applications.

When used for air conditioning for homes, offices, and vehicles, this solution is expected to help optimize both energy conservation and comfort. Going forward, Panasonic plans to improve the algorithm and introduce it in fields requiring safety, such as nursing and monitoring, which require detection of the state of a person lying in bed, and diagnosing abnormalities in a facility, which requires detection of heat generated as a result of a problem with a device, equipment, server, etc.

For more information, visit www.panasonic.com/global.

Publication date: 4/8/2016

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