Not only will this personalized temperature control invention slash energy expenses, it also makes AC and heating decisions more convenient.  Shames says that he originally came up with the idea for Wristify because his mother often felt cold in the house while he felt hot.  If Shames’ invention catches on, it could eliminate squabbles over temperature settings. 

While the technology the team has developed appears quite novel, the principle behind it is fairly well documented. Physiologists have known for some time now that the body relies on surface skin on certain spots of the body to detect changes in external temperatures. These areas, called pulse points, are where blood vessels are closest to the skin and signal these sudden shifts to the brain. The neck, for instance, is a pulse point. So are your feet. And that’s why the very moment you dip into a swimming pool, it can feel freezing cold.

What if every person in your home or office could control their own body temperature without ever touching the thermostat? Wristify has developed a new wristband designed to optimize the thermal comfort of the wearer.

One group of building understudies from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have outlined a radical better approach to make agreeable temperatures, whilst utilizing far less vigor; heat the distinctive individual, not the building.

Finding the perfect thermostat setting that pleases everyone is virtually impossible, since comfortable means something different to everyone. But there could be a new way for coworkers and family members to coexist peacefully: A special wristband tricks your body into thinking it's just been warmed or cooled.

A high-tech copper bracelet could soon regulate your body temperature without the need for heating or air conditioning, scientists have predicted.

Designers have developed a thermoelectric 'watch' which can alter human body temperature - drastically slashing air conditioning and heating costs. The gadget, called Wristify, has the ability to change a person's temperature by several degrees and can work at a rate of 0.4 degrees a second.

The chief benefit of this device is that it offers a more personalized approach to temperature control, one that’s vastly more efficient than current heating and cooling methods.

On the face of it this looks awfully similar to Energy Secretary Ed Davey’s recent advice to ‘put on a jumper’ but unsurprisingly the scientists from MIT are taking a slightly more sophisticated approach to the problem than our government is.

Shames runs hot. His mom runs cold. He figured there must be a way for them to coexist.

Ever try to comfort yourself during sleep by flipping your pillow to the cool side? Recognizing the role of skin temperature in perceived comfort, a team of MIT students won the school’s seventh-annual MADMEC competition with a bracelet that helps wearers control personal body temperature while also conserving energy.

Students at MIT have developed a bracelet, called Wristify, that can change human body temperature. They say the thermoelectric bracelet could help the environment and bank balances all at once by cutting down on air conditioning and heating costs.

 We’re all hearing about all kinds of new wrist worn devices – things like smartwatches and fitness bands. While these things are cool, and often serve a practical purpose, we would be hard pressed to describe any of them as devices that completely change the way you feel. One recent invention is doing just that! Literally! The Wristify is a new wrist worn device that can help control your temperature – or at least perceived temperature.

Human skin is incredibly sensitive to temperature. All that’s needed is to spot-heat or spot-cool a small part of the body. Using certain pressure points, like the back of the neck or the wrist, yields great results. By changing the temperature of that spot at a rate of .1 degree C per second, the entire body feels several degrees hotter or colder, respectively. It’s important to note that the body isn’t actually that much warmer or cooler, but that it’s being (somewhat) tricked into feeling that much warmer and cooler.

Most bracelets aren't likely to alter your temperature too much either way, but the Wristify isn't most bracelets. Developed by four MIT engineering students, the Wristify works on the principle that heating or cooling the skin on one part of the body can make the entire body feel warmer or colder. By creating a personal heating and cooling device, the Wristify team ultimately hopes to cut the amount of energy currently used to heat or cool entire buildings.

Now that winter is rapidly approaching, many thermostats across the country are switching on for the first time of the season. Thing is, autumn weather can be temperamental — one day it’s 41 degrees and rainy, and then next it’s sunny and 75. For those prone to chills and hot flashes, temperature fluctuations can be uncomfortable, if not summon nasty colds.

However, four MIT engineering students want to level things out with Wristify, a prototype wristband that monitors air and skin temperature, and then sends thermal pulses into the wrist to warm or cool the wearer according to their needs. Developers say their wristband can alter the body’s temperature simply by providing .4 degrees Celcius per second to the wrist.

STAY COOL: The Wristify is a thermoelectric bracelet designed to keep you warm, or cool, whichever you prefer. The bracelet monitors air and skin temperature, then sends tailored pulses of hot or cold waveforms to the wrist. The result is that you feel warmer or cooler.

"The concept is simple – when you’re hot a cold cloth applied to your skin helps you feel cooler and the same is true when you’re cold. A change in temperature on your skin makes you perceive an a different overall thermal comfort. So using that concept, students at MIT developed Wristify..."