Navigating Heat: Sensor-Based Wayfinding Strategies in Public Spaces Under Variable Thermal and Weather Conditions
Abstract:
As climate change intensifies, extreme weather conditions—such as heatwaves, high humidity, and sudden thermal shifts—pose increasing challenges for safe and comfortable navigation in both indoor and outdoor public spaces. This PhD project explores how thermal comfort and environmental stress influence wayfinding behavior, and how smart architectural environments can support adaptive navigation through data-informed spatial cues and digital guidance systems.
Using wearable and environmental sensors to monitor physiological responses (e.g., skin temperature, heart rate variability) alongside environmental factors (e.g., radiant heat, air temperature, solar exposure), the research will identify how people adjust their movement and spatial decisions under thermal and climatic stress.
The project will design and test adaptive wayfinding interventions, such as mobile navigation tools, that guide users toward more thermally comfortable and sheltered paths during extreme weather events. Combining architectural design, behavioral science, and digital technology, the project aims to inform resilient, inclusive, and climate-adaptive strategies for building complexes, courtyards, and other shared public environments.
The PhD candidate will work closely with the newly founded DataScape Lab at TU Wien, utilizing its infrastructure for real-time environmental sensing, spatial analysis, and data visualization. This interdisciplinary collaboration will support the development of evidence-based tools and prototypes that enhance both comfort and safety in the built environment under climate stress.
This project supports vulnerable groups by enhancing thermal comfort and safe navigation in public spaces during extreme weather conditions. Individuals such as older adults, children, migrants, and those with health or psychological sensitivities are more affected by thermal stress, which can impair mobility and decision-making. Sensor-based, language-independent wayfinding tools will offer intuitive, accessible guidance to help users avoid uncomfortable or unsafe areas. By integrating diverse physiological data and participatory design, the project enables inclusive, adaptive spatial solutions tailored to varying user needs.