Wireless sensor networks and human comfort index

Conventional wireless home automation networks (WHANs) incorporate embedded wireless sensors and actuators that monitors and control home living environment. WHAN's primary goal is to maintain user comfort and efficient home management. Conventional WHAN lacks “intelligence” in terms of managing compound human comfort, and it deals with multitude of human comfort factors individually instead of collectively. This paper presents wireless sensor networks-based Human Comfort Ambient Intelligence system. A fuzzy-rule-based system for the measurement of human comfort index in a living space is presented. The system is evaluated and tested with simulated and empirical data. It explores the complex relationship between multiple comfort factors. The comfort factors considered here include thermal comfort, visual comfort, indoor air comfort and acoustical comfort.