Gauging the impact of heatwaves on the thermal perception of pedestrians with thermal walks in a humid subtropical climate.

Studies point to an increase in the frequency of heatwaves, revealing that they are longer lasting and more intense, with noticeable impacts from climate change observed in the south of Brazil. This study evaluates the impact of a heatwave event in Curitiba, Brazil, and investigates whether the excessive heat caused during this period influenced the thermal perception reported by participants in a fieldwork carried out during dynamic microclimatic surveys on a university campus. To this end, volunteers took part in thermal walks accompanied by a researcher carrying a portable equipment for monitoring environmental variables, covering points of interest previously defined in a walking circuit with different morphological and land cover configurations.

Introducing PLEMS: the application of a low-cost, portable monitoring system in environmental walks.

The application of innovative systems using low-cost microcontrollers in human biometeorology studies is a promising alternative to conventional monitoring devices, which are usually cost-intensive and provide measurements at specific points, as in stationary meteorological stations. A Portable Low-cost Environmental Monitoring System (PLEMS) aimed at the pedestrian scale is introduced. The backpack-type equipment consists of a microcontroller with attached sensors that assess environmental conditions in a broad sense, integrating measurements of air quality, lighting and noise levels alongside variables typically measured at meteorological stations.

Application of microcontroller-based systems in human biometeorology studies: a bibliometric analysis.

Urban development creates several inadvertent impacts related to urban climate and human biometeorology. Monitoring systems based on microcontrollers are slowly emerging as an alternative to conventional devices for monitoring outdoor thermal comfort (OTC), thus overcoming limitations imposed by the high costs of commercially available equipment. This review was conducted using the Scopus database, searching for articles and conference papers according to a pre-defined search string, which included the terms "microcontrollers" and "human thermal comfort" up to 2022.