Space heating is inefficient and expensive, since energy is used to heat places that persons are not benefiting from.
Radiant heaters are good but they force the heatee to remain in one place, or get cold.
A system could be installed around the building, consisting of sensors (probably a combination of visible light and IR cameras) with human-form-detecting algorithms. When a human (or, optionally, a pet) is detected, radiant heat is emitted, directed at that person.
The heat could either come from a ceiling-track-mounted radiant panel, which is steered around the house by the control system and orients and angles itself to point at the person, or alternatively, by having the entire ceiling made of a mosaic of radiant panels, which are actuated by the control system only when a human is within radiant heat range.
More expensive systems use multiple panels per person to ensure coverage from all sides.
Could be fitted in public buildings, shops and offices as well as homes.-- pocmloc, Feb 15 2010 Sounds like a civilian-ized (civilized?) version of a failed weapons project.
Imagine dropping by the neighbors' for cocktails & dinner, and seeing those little turrets tracking you around the room ... deeply creepy. [+]-- mouseposture, Feb 16 2010 Just think - cats have been shaping the history of humankind for the last 7000 years just to get us to the point of you inventing this thing.-- lurch, Feb 16 2010 Is there some plot to turn every anno thread in the Halfbakery into a cats vs. dogs debate? (and if so, why wasn't I invited?)-- mouseposture, Feb 16 2010 //turrets// I was thinking of a panel, but now that you mention turrets I am wondering if a focussed beam projected through an auto-focussing/zooming lens might be more exciting - certainly makes the malfunction possibilities more exciting.
Also, different members of the household might be able to programme their preferences, so Mrs P. can dial maximum while I have a preferred setting of medium on the feet and low for the rest. The cameras recognise each of us and adjust the beams accordingly.-- pocmloc, Feb 16 2010 //makes the malfunction possibilities more exciting// [marked-for-tagline]
Also: could it be used for cooking? For keeping a cup of tea warm as you carried it around the house?-- mouseposture, Feb 17 2010 //focussed beam projected through an auto-focussing/zooming lens//
This idea fascinates me. If enough effort were put into this, I wonder exactly how cold you could keep your house and still be toasty warm ... unless there is something that would prohibit this from working that I'm just not seeing.
[+]-- MikeD, Feb 17 2010 + I have often thought of ways to do this, as I really hate heating my kitchen when we are in the living room! Never thought of this as a solution.-- xandram, Feb 17 2010 So [lurch], are you saying cats are the new mice?-- nineteenthly, Feb 17 2010 This would work best if the occupants were unclothed ...
// cats are the new mice //
No, cats are the new rats - flea infested, disease carrying vermin.
#include <EOSSACR.H>-- 8th of 7, Feb 17 2010 Could this be done with low-power microwaves? As far as I know microwaves cause no more damage to humans than the basic heating effect.-- wagster, Feb 18 2010 Except for the eyes. Microwave exposure causes cataracts and other damage. This is well documented.-- 8th of 7, Feb 18 2010 Couldn't the heater be robotic, moving from room to room with you, drawing power via induction from the floor?
Put a surface on the robot and you also create a table that follows you.
Place an oven in it, using the excess heat to warm you, and you have a mobile kitchen too.-- Aristotle, Feb 18 2010 Since heat rises would it not be more efficient to have individual sections of the floor radiate when they detect a heat signature?-- 2 fries shy of a happy meal, Mar 10 2015 /Microwave exposure causes cataracts/
One could have goggles made of that stuff microwave doors are made out of. Whether this gets baked or not. A codpiece too. Or would that be too risque?-- bungston, Mar 10 2015 //Since heat rises// I believe radiated heat is mostly unaffected by gravity.-- pocmloc, Mar 13 2015 The original idea and several annos seem to be promoting cost efficiency when they all would be way spendy compared to long johns or even battery heated clothing.-- cudgel, Mar 13 2015 /Since heat rises///I believe radiated heat is mostly unaffected by gravity.//
I just mean that sectioned in-floor heat zones might be more efficient than the electronics needed to track a human and direct heat at them.-- 2 fries shy of a happy meal, Mar 14 2015 You could just have automated spotlights follow you around the house. Good for the narcissistic crowd. *Jazz Hands!*-- AusCan531, Mar 14 2015 Low energy home microwave cooker.-- pashute, Mar 15 2015 Radiant heating would be very uncomfortable, as it heats only the "line of sight".
That's why gathering around a good campfire/bonfire, you have to rotate your body or you get burned on one side, & frozen on the other.
Convection & conduction provide more uniform heating all around your body.-- sophocles, Jan 27 2016 random, halfbakery