AirSpecs: Smart Eyeglass Platform for Environmental and Physiological Sensing
A head-worn sensing platform bridging environmental monitoring and human comfort
The AirSpec project introduces a novel "head-worn" sensing platform designed to bridge the gap between static, room-level environmental monitoring and the dynamic, subjective nature of human comfort. Developed as part of a doctoral dissertation at the MIT Media Lab, this smart-eyeglass system holistically captures an individual's "proximate" micro-environment—the actual air they breathe and the light they see—alongside their physiological responses. By deploying these sensors "in-the-wild" across three global cities, the project aims to deepen our understanding of how personalized data and subtle interactive cues can empower people to better manage their own well-being and productivity in modern built environments.
Sensor Suite
AirSpecs uniquely integrate a comprehensive array of environmental and physiological sensors into a standard, lightweight eyeglass frame. To measure Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ), the platform features specialized sensors for air temperature, humidity, light intensity, and the light spectrum, as well as high-resolution monitors for air pollutants like carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Simultaneously, integrated physiological sensors track skin temperature at multiple facial points and detect blink rates to assess factors like cognitive load, stress, and visual fatigue. This co-located data provides a far more accurate representation of personal exposure than traditional sensors fixed to a wall or worn on the wrist.
Mobile and Watch Applications: Designing for Awareness
The AirSpec ecosystem includes dedicated iOS and watchOS applications created to serve as a bridge between the user and their immediate environment. These apps provide real-time data visualizations and historical trends, encouraging users to practice "self-inquiry"—such as opening a window upon seeing a spike in CO2 levels. We specifically designed these tools to facilitate Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA), using a subtle peripheral LED on the glasses to prompt brief surveys about comfort and focus. By integrating these features into the Apple Watch and iPhone, the system provides a non-disruptive way to measure environmental awareness and helps define a future where "smart" buildings adapt to our actual cognitive and comfort states.
Multi-City Deployment: Researching Urban Comfort
To validate the platform and explore diverse cultural and climatic contexts, we conducted an international "Urban Comfort" study involving 30 participants across three global hubs: Boston, Fribourg, and Singapore. Over a five-day period, participants wore the AirSpecs during their normal daily routines, resulting in a rich, longitudinal dataset that includes synchronized environmental metrics, physiological signals, and over 1,175 subjective comfort reports. This large-scale deployment demonstrated that the technology is robust enough for daily life and produced a valuable, public resource that is now being used by independent researchers to build more advanced, personalized models of human well-being.
