Ching Lee, Jeanne Tan and Jun Jong Tan · CLIENT: Laboratory for Artificial Intelligence in Design (AiDLab)
Chromaheat AI is an intelligent heating jacket that utilizes AI-driven temperature regulation and thermochromic yarn to provide adaptive warmth and real time visual feedback . Its self trained AI system adjusts heating based on age, gender, and environmental conditions, optimizing thermal comfort across different temperatures, humidity levels, and wind speeds. The color changing yarn offers visible heat indicators, enhancing safety, usability, and monitoring. Designed for daily wear, its energy efficient automated control makes it ideal for healthcare applications and smart textiles.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- ChromaHeat AI is an intelligent heating jacket that integrates AI-driven temperature regulation with thermochromic yarn, providing adaptive warmth and real-time color-changing temperature feedback. The self-trained AI system adjusts heating based on age, gender, and environmental factors, optimizing thermal comfort across varying temperatures, humidity levels, and wind speeds. Designed for everyday use, its energy-efficient control makes it ideal for healthcare technology.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- Materials: Silver-coated conductive yarn, thermochromic yarn, polymeric optical fiber, cotton.
Technology: AI-driven regulation, ANN model, Bluetooth, thermocouples MAX6675, ambient sensors BME680, FS3000.
Color Transitions: Pale purple to hot pink at 30 degrees Celsius in lit conditions; blue to yellow to red from 30 to 40 degrees Celsius and above in dark conditions.
Dimensions: International Male M (Chest: 970 mm, Length: 680 mm, Sleeve: 630 mm). - Tags
- intelligent textile, heating textile, temperature control, thermochromic textile and healthcare
- Production Technology
- ChromaHeat AI is fabricated using woven and embroidered thermochromic yarn and polymeric optical fiber, combined with silver-coated conductive heating yarn, enabling real-time temperature visualization with high brightness in both lit and dark environments. It features a self-trained ANN-driven system, utilizing data from 50 wearability test subjects to determine optimal heating temperatures for intelligent temperature regulation across diverse users.
- Design Challenge
- The biggest challenge was training the AI model from scratch, as no publicly available datasets existed on optimal heating temperatures for thermal comfort across different users. To validate the concept, we recruited 50 subjects to test heating levels from 40 degree celsius to 60 degree celsius, identifying their preferred comfort temperatures. Additionally, constraints on age groups and testing conditions posed limitations, requiring careful data collection to ensure accuracy and applicability.
- Project Duration
- The project began in January 2021 and was completed in December 2024 in Hong Kong. The first prototype was exhibited at Sensory Stitches, Intelligent, Intuitive, Illuminative at Tai Kwun, Hong Kong, China, from September 8 to 13, 2022.
- Operation Flow
- ChromaHeat AI intuitively adjusts its heating levels using an AI-driven system that responds to the wearer's age, gender, and surroundings. Once worn, built-in sensors track environmental conditions and send data to the intelligent model, which fine-tunes warmth for maximum comfort and efficiency . Its color-changing and light-emitting features provide instant visual feedback , helping users monitor temperature shifts in real time, ensuring safety and ease of use in daily life.
- Research
- This research developed AI-driven heating e-textiles for personalized thermal comfort and healthcare safety through real-time temperature visualization. Data from 50 participants was collected to train an ANN model, which determines optimal heating temperatures from 40 to 50 degrees Celsius with a mean squared error of 5.083, demonstrating a high correlation between predicted and actual comfort levels. The results confirm enhanced thermal comfort and benefits for healthcare applications.
- Inspiration
- Existing heating e-textiles, such as Bluetooth-controlled systems, have advanced textile technology but still lack intelligent adaptation, requiring manual operation to adjust heating levels. They offer limited heat indication, typically displayed on small switches, making it difficult for users to monitor temperature changes. ChromaHeat AI was developed to address these limitations, aiming to enhance human well-being through smart heating textiles that improve comfort, safety, and efficiency.
- Image Credits
- Main Image: Photographer Henry Yeung – Heating position on the upper back of the body, 2024.
Optional Image #1: Photographer Chun Hei Lee – Integrated sensors in pocket with a small size, 2024.
Optional Image #2: Photographer Chun Hei Lee – Illuminative effect in a dark environment, 2022.
Optional Image #3: Photographer Chun Hei Lee – Jacket providing thermal comfort, 2024.
Optional Image #4: Photographer Chun Hei Lee – Minimalist and sporty design , 2024. - Patents
- Patent Filed. Patent Application No. 2308943HK01. Lee, C., Tan, J., & Tan, J. J. 2023. China National Intellectual Property Administration. Jurisdiction: China. Filed on 10 October 2023.
Press releases are available in 1 languages.