Infrared Imaging Analysis for Thermal Comfort Assessment

Skin temperature is a relevant and effective indicator for objective evaluation of human sensations and thermal states according to the surrounding thermal stresses. Managed by skin blood flow, sympathetic nervous system (constriction and sweating), subcutaneous thermal structure and facial vein patterns, facial coetaneous temperature variability can give information non-invasively on many physiological functions. These informations are deduced from thermal images obtained by far infrared imaging (7 - 14 mum). The work presented here deals with facial thermographic image analysis. Thermal regions of interest are extracted, such as left and right front, left and right cheek, left and right periobital region. Each region is analyzed by the FFT power spectrum calculation regarding to specific spectral band.