How many times have you walked into your home after a hard workout at the gym, long run in the summer sun, or just generally overheated from a long day at the office? Now imagine if you could be greeted by a robotic air conditioner that would not only know your current uncomfortable state, but blast you with cool air conditioning almost immediately too. That thought could soon be a reality.
According to The Washington Post, Reinhard Radermacher and a team of researchers and engineers at the University of Maryland are working on an invention that would do just that. RoCo, as it’s called, is a personal robotic AC unit capable of sensing when a person’s body temperature is too hot and will take the appropriate action to make them more comfortable.
?We want to see how far we can take this,? said Radermacher, director of the university?s Center for Environmental Energy Engineering. When RoCo comes within three feet of a user, ?it will blow air maybe at your face or maybe your chest.?
One of the areas the team believes this type of invention could be especially beneficial is in workplace settings. Whether it’s an office or industrial factory, conditions vary constantly and often times co-workers disagree on what the “standing temperate” should be. This sensory-style AC system could serve as a way to keep those who need a little more cooling, well, cool.
It could also be a pretty big game-changer in terms of energy efficiency. Traditional AC units keep cools home, but at an incredibly egregious cost to the environment. According to U.S. federal government statistics, 14% of U.S. energy output goes for air conditioning, heating and ventilation in buildings. Of this significant number, a lot of the effects are ultimately wasted anyway.
In addition to RoCo, other universities are working on similar, innovative cooling systems. Syracuse University, SUNY Stony Brook University, and the University of California at Berkeley are all working on energy efficient AC units that work on individual basis’.
For now, you’re left to manage the heat in traditional ways as none of these inventions have hit the market. It might not be too long though until you’re met at your front door by a cooling, personal AC unit to meet your specific needs. Now THAT would be pretty cool indeed.
