College of Engineering Unit:
The need for adaptive cooling solutions to prevent heat-related illness during the summer months is progressing. Project CEREBRO was initiated to develop and implement thermal management techniques to compensate for the body's potential to reach hyperthermia in a multitude of harsh climates. When the body can no longer cool itself, in high heat and high humidity environments, the ability of the body to reduce core temperatures is stifled by the stagnation of natural heat removal modes, such as sweating. As a result, fatigue and dizziness, amongst a multitude of other symptoms according to the CDC, can be onset rapidly. Project CEREBRO prevents, or drastically lowers, the potential for heat-related illnesses. Encompassing the full vapor-compression cycle within a standard hardhat, CEREBRO utilizes both natural and forced thermal management techniques to depreciate surrounding air temperatures and reduce air-stagnation around a person's head, thereby addressing the growing heat crisis.