Development of a Glasses-Like Wearable Device to Measure Nasal Skin Temperature

Since nasal skin temperature is said to provide a good reflection of autonomic nerve activity, nasal skin temperature measurements have been used to assess various human physiological and psychological states, such as pleasant and unpleasant emotions, alertness levels, and mental work load (MWL). In addition, nasal skin temperature has the advantage of enabling non-contact measurement, using such as thermography and radiation thermometers. However, a problem exists with approaches using these device because it is difficult to make accurate assessments if the test subject moves during measurement. This study aims at resolving this problem via the development of a wearable device that measures nasal skin temperature with small thermopile sensors attached to spectacle frames, thus enabling temperature measurements even when the wearer moves.