Indoor Outdoor Research Articles

Building envelopes with radiative cooling materials: A model for indoor thermal environment assessment based on climate adaptation

To create a comfortable thermal environment in buildings, building cooling account for a large part of building energy consumption in summer. The spectral radiative properties of radiant cooling materials as a passive cooling technology have been extensively studied. However, there are few studies that address the application of radiant cooling materials to building envelopes. This paper proposed a radiative cooling glass composite structure for windows based on existing radiant cooling materials and established a climate adaptive radiant cooling building indoor thermal environment assessment model. This assessment model combines the spectral selectivity of radiative cooling materials with climate characteristics. An indoor thermal environment test system and an ambient climate measurement system are designed under the influence of external windows, and the average error of the assessment model is verified to be no more than 4.83%. Based on this assessment model, three applicability analyses were conducted: Firstly, it is concluded that the daytime indoor temperature with radiative cooling glass (RCG) is 26.43°C lower than that with the ordinary glass. Secondly, RCG can effectively improve the indoor thermal environment for rooms facing each direction, and the indoor temperature is 45.06°C lower than that of ordinary glass in the east and west directions, and 15.05°C lower than that of ordinary glass in the north and south directions. Finally, analysis of the correlation between indoor temperature and outdoor temperature shows that the indoor temperature tends to rise as the outdoor temperature rises. The analysis of the application of RCG in different cities shows that the performance of radiative cooling is relatively weak in areas with high relative humidity.

ANALYSIS OF AMBIENT AIR QUALITY AND GENSET EMISSIONS AT PT. REKSO NASIONAL FOOD (MC. DONALDS) GORONTALO CITY

Air, as one of the components of the environment, is the most essential requirement in supporting life. Metabolism in the bodies of living things cannot occur without air oxygen. Air can be grouped into outdoor air and indoor air. Indoor air quality dramatically affects human health because almost 90% of human life is indoors. Indoor air quality is a problem that needs attention because it will affect human health. The emergence of poor indoor air quality is generally caused by several things, namely lack of air ventilation (52%), sources of indoor pollution (16%), outdoor pollution (10%), microbes (5%), and building materials (4 %). ), others (13%). Sources of air pollution can also come from household activities, starting from the kitchen in the form of smoke. According to several studies, air pollution from kitchens contributes significantly to ARI. The novelty of this research is that it examines ambient air quality and generator emissions. The study aimed to analyze Ambient Air Quality and Generator Emissions at PT Rekso National Foods (MC Donalds) in Gorontalo City. The results showed that the surrounding air quality still met the requirements, both CO, TSP, PM10, PM 2.5 and generator emissions. However, the noise factor still does not meet the threshold standard. This study concludes that all variables still meet predetermined threshold values except for the noise variable, which exceeds the threshold value.

Estimate of the maximum amount of dust adhering to skin and the upper limit of dust-skin adherence factor for young adults: An example from Changchun, China

Contaminants present in dust adhering to the skin can pose a significant risk to human health through dermal absorption and hand-to-mouth contact. The adhesion capacity of dust differs significantly from that of soil due to its physicochemical properties. Therefore, applying the raw soil exposure parameters to estimate the health risks associated with dermal exposure to dust may lead to erroneous conclusions. In this study, we quantified the maximum amount of dust that adhered to the skin (MADmax) and the upper limit of dust-skin adherence factor (DSAFmax) in 26 adults using element markers as a proxy for dust. The volunteers were exposed to dust and rinse water samples were collected from their hands, forearms, lower legs, and feet. We analyzed both the raw dust samples and the rinse water samples for 11 element markers, including Be, V, Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Se, Ba, and Pb. The results showed that the MADmax of indoor dust and outdoor dust increased by 0.08–0.62 mg and 0.33–0.56 mg following a 1 cm2 increase in skin surface area, respectively. Based on best dust element markers, the body part-weighted dust-skin adherences (WDSAFmaxs) of indoor dust and outdoor dust were 0.35 and 0.64 mg/cm2, respectively. A smaller particle size and higher moisture content resulted in a larger DSAFmax. Only when indoor dust concentrations exceed 24.2 mg/m3 or outdoor dust concentrations exceed 44.3 mg/m3, can the WDSAFmax be applied directly in the health risk assessment of dermal exposure to dust. The method from this study can be re-applied in different regions, and the adherence data can help to improve future studies on the health effects of dermal exposure to dust.

Applying Natural Ventilation for Commercial Buildings With Atrium: Indoor Environment Prediction and Outdoor Pollutant Impact

Abstract The use of natural ventilation for commercial buildings becomes ever attractive due to the potential for economic savings and increased occupant satisfaction. However, it has proven to be particularly challenging to predict the indoor air temperature and airflow distribution from natural ventilation in more complex building geometries such as those with an atrium. This study used the energy-simulation-coupled computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method to predict the indoor temperatures of a typical multi-story, open-floorplan office building with a central atrium. The prediction accuracy using CFD was slightly improved for the periods with extreme outdoor conditions, where large temperature disparities often occur between simulation and experiment. For the tested cases, adjustment of window opening sizes seems to have marginal impacts on the simulation results. This paper further explores the impacts of outdoor gas-phase pollutants on indoor air quality of such a naturally ventilated commercial building with an atrium. A few architectural features such as window blockers and double skin façade (DSF) designs were numerically investigated for their performance to lower the indoor pollution levels while still maintaining adequate building ventilation rates. The results reveal that the features affecting the wind patterns around and above the building have a strong influence on the contamination rates on each floor of the building. DSF can not only reduce indoor pollution levels but also reduce the ventilation rate. When a pollutant source is not close to the building, a conventional central atrium design is preferred for better ventilation rates.

Measurement and large-eddy simulation of single-sided natural ventilation in urban building groups

Natural ventilation is a highly respected and effective way to improve indoor air quality, and single-sided natural ventilation is easily formed in residential buildings. The site experiments were carried out, and the unsteady characteristics of the airflow were analyzed based on 3D wind speed series. With the experimental verification, large-eddy simulation was successfully applied to calculate the indoor–outdoor flow field of urban building groups. When the entrance boundary was constant, the flow field of the window varied all the time, and outflow was irregular. The natural ventilation efficiency was 42% with the incoming flow almost parallel to the window. The discrete wind speed inlet boundary is more suitable for the natural ventilation simulation of buildings in a real environment than the average wind speed boundary and the average wind speed superposition ±10% disturbance.

Comparison of the effects of indoor and outdoor exercise on creativity: an analysis of EEG alpha power.

Previous research finds that natural environments and exercise enhance creativity. In this within-subjects design study, we examined the influence of outdoor exercise that combined a natural environment with exercise on creativity compared to an indoor exercise control condition by analyzing cognitive activities related to creativity. The participants performed an Alternative Uses Test (AUT), in which ordinary objects are presented to the participants (e.g., a brick), to prompt as many ideas for alternative uses as possible, which are transformed into a creativity score, after indoor running and outdoor running. During the test, brain activity was recorded using electroencephalography (EEG) and a short version flow state scale (FSS) was completed after the experiment. Results showed that while AUT scores did not significantly differ between conditions, alpha band activity at the parietal occipital region involved in divergent creativity increased during the AUT after outdoor exercise while it did not during the AUT after indoor exercise. In addition, FSS scores for positive emotional experience and absorption were higher after outdoor exercise than after indoor exercise. Our results from the FSS suggest that exercise in a natural environment is perceived subjectively differently from indoor exercise, participants report greater experiences of flow compared to indoor exercise, and the EEG measures objectively indicate enhanced cognitive activity in a creativity task after outdoor exercise. This study suggests that outdoor exercise increases neuronal activity in brain regions related to creativity. Further research is needed to understand how this can lead to increased creativity.

A Decision for Throughput Optimization in UAV-Enabled Emergency Outdoor–Indoor Fairness Communication

This paper investigates the throughput optimization strategy in an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)-enabled emergency outdoor–indoor fairness communication scenario, with the UAV as a mobile relay station in the air, to provide outdoor–indoor communication services for users inside buildings. The occurrence of severe signal fading caused by outdoor transmission loss through wall loss as well as indoor transmission loss when the UAV forwards the information to the indoor users reduces the channel gain and degrades the system downlink throughput. To improve the downlink throughput of the system and ensure communication fairness for indoor users, we designed a joint UAV location deployment and resource allocation (JLRO) algorithm that optimized UAV three-dimensional (3D) deployment location, power and bandwidth resource allocation. The simulation results demonstrate the convergence and validity of the proposed JLRO algorithm, as well as its superiority compared to benchmark algorithms.

Evaluating thermal comfort and neutral temperature in residential apartments in hot and dry climate: A case study in Shiraz, Iran

Determination of thermal comfort, as one of the main goals of climate design, is of great importance due to its direct impact on human productivity and health, the interior space quality, and the energy consumption reduction, regarding the fact that most of the human activities take place in the house. Though providing crucial design information, determination and analysis of the thermal comfort range is a challenging issue due to variety of climatic, physiological, and cultural influencing factors, which in turn, necessitate field studies. Considering the critical need of determining thermal comfort range for each climate, this research aimed to describe field study of thermal comfort conducted in mid-rise residential apartments with open courtyards in hot and dry climate of Shiraz, Iran to provide neutral temperature, thermal comfort range, and the relationship between neutral temperature and indoor as well as outdoor temperature. The data and information needed, based on the experimental and field methods, were collected using the two main methods of questionnaire and measurement and the results were discussed with analytical and inferential description. In addition to a positive correlation between indoor air temperature and PMV as well as AMV, the findings of survey and regression analysis reveals a good relationship between neutral temperature and indoor temperature and also, between indoor comfort and outdoor conditions. Furthermore, a neutral temperature of 27.18 °C and the comfort band (23.2–30.8 °C) vindicated that respondents achieve comfort at a higher indoor air temperatures compared with the recommendations of international standards such as ISO7730. Moreover, the regression equation between the preferred and neutral temperature suggests that the neutral temperature can be used as a suitable criterion for predicting indoor temperature.

MODELING OF A DIGITAL COMMUNICATION SYSTEM WITH INTERFERENCE-RESISTANT CODING OVER DELAYED MULTIPATH CHANNELS FOR A FIXED WIRELESS ACCESS SYSTEM


 
 
 In this study, an analysis of the performance of a digital communication system was conducted to improve the efficiency of the communication channel. The system was de- signed and evaluated in the MatLab/Simulink environment, specifically for the transmission of binary data in a multipath channel with static fading. One of the main advantages of this system is its ability to provide high noise immunity, even in the presence of noise, interference, and signal delays. The performance of the system was investigated in terms of bit error rate (BER) over both an additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) channel and a multipath Rayleigh fading channel. The study also considered the impact of inter-symbol interference (ISI) and explored different parameters for a static channel, resembling a wireless LAN system based on IEEE 802.11 (as defined by Rec ITU-R M.1225). This study uses a solution to suppress inter-symbol interference using cascading coding (convolutional turbo codes with Reed Solo- mon code), Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) and Inverse Fast Fourier Transform (IFFT), amplifiers at the transmitter side and normalizer at the receiver side, by regulating the amplification ratios of transmitter and receiver sides. Modeling of a digital communication system for a wide-band fixed wireless LAN system (for Indoor office and Outdoor to indoor systems) has been performed. The modeling outcomes show that the applied method provides a good per- formance improvement in channels with ISI with static fading.
 The application of cascading coding (turbo code together with RS code), amplifiers, and FFT on the transmitter side, and IFFT on the receiver side will eliminate the effects of inter-symbol interference on digital signals in a multipath channel with static fading (as defined by Rec. ITU-R M.1225 for internal and external transmission systems) for wireless fixed systems.
 
 

CityGuide: a seamless indoor–outdoor wayfinding system for people with vision impairments

CityGuide: a seamless indoor–outdoor wayfinding system for people with vision impairments

Deep learning-based obstacle-avoiding autonomous UAVs with fiducial marker-based localization for structural health monitoring

This paper proposes a framework for obstacle-avoiding autonomous unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) systems with a new obstacle avoidance method (OAM) and localization method for autonomous UAVs for structural health monitoring (SHM) in GPS-denied areas. There are high possibilities of obstacles in the planned trajectory of autonomous UAVs used for monitoring purposes. A traditional UAV localization method with an ultrasonic beacon is limited to the scope of the monitoring and vulnerable to both depleted battery and environmental electromagnetic fields. To overcome these critical problems, a deep learning-based OAM with the integration of You Only Look Once version 3 (YOLOv3) and a fiducial marker-based UAV localization method are proposed. These new obstacle avoidance and localization methods are integrated with a real-time damage segmentation method as an autonomous UAV system for SHM. In indoor testing and outdoor tests in a large parking structure, the proposed methods showed superior performances in obstacle avoidance and UAV localization compared to traditional approaches.

ASL-SLAM: A LiDAR SLAM With Activity Semantics-Based Loop Closure

A practical back-end module with loop closure detection is very useful and important for a LiDAR simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) system to perform high-precision positioning and mapping tasks. However, most existing loop closure detection methods are based on images or point clouds, and these methods may produce errors when the structure or texture is similar. To overcome this problem, we propose a complete LiDAR SLAM system, including a front-end odometry module based on normal distribution transform (NDT)-LOAM and a back-end optimization module with loop closure based on activity semantics. Through the analysis and calculation of inertial measurement unit (IMU) data from SLAM platforms such as unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs), the activity semantics of turning and passing over a speed bump are detected based on the peak <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${z}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> -axis angular velocity and <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${z}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> -axis acceleration, respectively. Then, according to this activity semantics information and its unique and definite attributes, we establish correct loop closure detection using rough geometric detection, activity semantics matching, and point cloud rematching for validation. Finally, graph optimization theory is utilized to reduce the global cumulative error, improve the global trajectory accuracy and map consistency, and obtain the final global motion trajectory and point cloud map. We collected a dataset for evaluation, which contains indoor data, outdoor data, and indoor–outdoor integration data, and we also evaluated our method on the KITTI dataset. The experimental results for different scenes show that the addition of activity semantics can effectively help loop closure detection and improve LiDAR SLAM system performance.

SMARTPHONE LEVEL INDOOR/OUTDOOR UBIQUITOUS PEDESTRIAN POSITIONING 3DMA GNSS/VINS INTEGRATION USING FGO

Abstract. This paper discusses ubiquitous smartphone pedestrian positioning challenges in urban canyons and GNSS-denied areas such as indoor spaces. Existing sensor-based techniques, including GNSS, INS, and VIO, have limitations that affect positioning accuracy and reliability. A machine learning-based approach is suggested to employ Support Vector Machine (SVM) to classify indoor/outdoor (IO) detection using GNSS measurement data. The proposed system integrates local estimates on VIO and 3D mapping aided (3DMA) GNSS measurements using Factor Graph Optimization (FGO) with an IO detection switch to estimate precise pose and eliminate global drift. The effectiveness of the system is evaluated through real-world experiments that produce notable outcomes.

Experimental study of ventilation performance of a novel integral-type air conditioner with heat recovery using R290

The leaking safety of air conditioner using R290 has been a research hotspot in recent years, one method to lower the risk of explosion after leakage is utilizing ventilation. For fresh air conditioner, it's common to use thermal anemometry and differential pressure flowmeters to measure ventilation flow rate. However, there is non-negligible error especially under low air volume flow rate conditions. In this paper, a novel integral-type air conditioner with heat recovery using R290 is proposed. And the relevant influencing parameters are analyzed and experimentally studied. The results show that tracer gas method is an effective way to measure ventilation flow rate, and the novel integral-type air conditioner can meet the needs of the ventilation standards. The air volume flow rates of indoor unit fan and outdoor unit fan are dominant factors affecting ventilation flow rate. The outlet area of exhaust air duct is more sensitive than the inlet area of fresh air duct in exerting influence on ventilation flow rate, while the indoor temperature has a mild impact on ventilation flow rate.

Evaluation of the effects of environmental factors and eating habits on exfoliation syndrome and glaucoma in a Turkish population.

This study aimed to assess the possible effect of environmental factors and eating habits on patients with the exfoliation syndrome (XFS) and exfoliative glaucoma (XFG) in a Turkish population. A questionnaire was applied to 1,000 individuals, including 290 patients with XFS, 210 patients with XFG, and 500 age- and sex-matched healthy control participants. Sociodemographic characteristics, home type and warming methods, living and working conditions (indoor-outdoor), dietary habits based on the the guidance of Turkey Dietary Guidelines, (Determination of Nutritional Status Report and Turkey National Nutrition and Health Survey) and using sunglasses were evaluated. The chi-square test, Student t test, and analysis of variance were used for the statistical analysis with SPSS v. 23.0 software. The case-control groups were matched during data collection, and age and sex distribution in groups was analyzed; however, no difference was found. The average years and hours spent outdoor were statistically different between case and control groups (P < 0.05). The disease risk among individuals wearing sunglasses was 2.74 times less than that among those who did not wear sunglasses. Individuals born in the city had 1.46 times lower risk. Also, living out of the city until the age of 12 years increased the risk of getting the disease 1.36 times. In addition, while living in an apartment decreased the risk of disease, using a stove increased. The control groups had more healthy eating habits than the case groups. This case-control study showed that time spent outdoors, wearing sunglasses, home type, heating method, and eating habits might be associated with XFS and XFG.

Respiratory infections among junior high school students in upper northern Thailand: The role of building dampness and mould, biomass burning and outdoor relative air humidity (RH)

BackgroundFew studies exist on environmental risk factors for respiratory infections in Thai school children. AimTo study associations between home and outdoor environment and respiratory infections among school children in Northern Thailand in dry and wet season. MethodsA repeated questionnaire survey among the children (N = 1159). Data on ambient temperature and relative air humidity (RH) and PM10 and ozone was collected from nearby monitoring stations. We used logistic regression to calculate odds ratios (OR). Results14.1% had current respiratory infections (last 7 days), 32.1% had any respiratory infection last 3 months, and 26.1% had any respiratory infection last 12 months with antibiotic treatment. Students with diagnosed allergy (7.7%) and diagnosed asthma (4.7%) had more often respiratory infections (ORs 1.40–5.40; p < 0.05). Current respiratory infections were more common in dry (18.1%) than in wet season (10.4%) (p < 0.001) and was associated with indoor mould (OR 2.16; p = 0.024) and outdoor RH (OR 1.34 per 10% RH; p = 0.004.) in the total material. In wet season, mould (OR 2.32; p = 0.016), window pane condensation (OR 1.79; p = 0.050), water leakage (OR 1.82; p = 0.018), environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) (OR 2.34; p = 0.003) and outdoor RH (OR 2.70 per 10% RH; p = 0.01) were risk factors for current respiratory infections. In dry season, mould (OR 2.64; p = 0.004) and outdoor RH (OR 1.34 per 10% RH; p = 0.046) were associated with current respiratory infections. Irrespectively of season, biomass burning inside or outside the home was a risk factor for respiratory infections (ORs 1.32–2.34; p < 0.05). Living in a wooden house decreased the risk of respiratory infections (OR 0.56: p = 0.006). ConclusionsDry season, high outdoor RH, household dampness, indoor mould and ETS can increase childhood respiratory infections. Living in a traditional wooden house can reduce respiratory infections, possibly due to better natural ventilation. Smoke from biomass burning can increase childhood respiratory infections in northern Thailand.

Successful Medical Management of an Acute Traumatic Sternal Luxation in a Cat.

A 5 yr old indoor-outdoor domestic longhair red tabby cat presented for evaluation of a 1-day history of hiding, urinating and defecating outside the litterbox, and vocalizing when picked up. Physical examination revealed significant pain on palpation of the caudal sternum where an approximately 8 × 6 cm contusion was noted. Sedated thoracic radiographs revealed a luxated fifth intersternebral joint with the sixth sternebra being cranioventrally displaced (along with the seventh and eight sternebrae) to the level of the mid fourth sternebra. There were sharply marginated, short oblique fractures of the distal sixth costal cartilages bilaterally with mild dorsal displacement of the distal segment. The sternal luxation was palpated more aggressively once the patient was sedated and deemed to be stable. Because of the stability of the luxation and absence of sternebral fractures, conservative medical management in the form of analgesics and rest was instituted. Repeat thoracic radiographs 2 wk after presentation revealed an unchanged sternal luxation. Twelve months after presentation, the patient presented for an unrelated lameness and, in that timeframe, has exhibited no sequelae to the sternal luxation, which still palpates stable and is radiographically unchanged.

Difference in Levels of Vitamin D between Indoor and Outdoor Athletes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Vitamin D, its importance in different processes taking place in the human body, the effects of abnormal levels of this hormone, either too low or too high, and the need for supplementation have been extensively researched thus far. Variances in exposure to sunlight can cause vitamin D levels to fluctuate. Indoor activity can be a factor for these fluctuations and can lead to a decrease in vitamin D levels. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis aiming to identify whether indoor compared to outdoor training has a significant influence on vitamin D levels; we also performed subgroup analyses and multivariate meta-regression. The type of training has an impact on vitamin D levels that is influenced by multiple cofounders. In a subgroup analysis not considering cofounders, the mean serum vitamin D was 3.73 ng/mL higher in outdoor athletes, a difference which barely fails to achieve significance (p = 0.052, a total sample size of 5150). The indoor-outdoor difference is only significant (clinically and statistically) when considering studies performed exclusively on Asian athletes (a mean difference of 9.85 ng/mL, p < 0.01, and a total sample size of 303). When performing the analyses within each season, no significant differences are observed between indoor and outdoor athletes. To control for multiple cofounders (the season, latitude, and Asian/Caucasian race) simultaneously, we constructed a multivariate meta-regression model, which estimated a serum vitamin D concentration lower by 4.446 ng/mL in indoor athletes. While a multivariate model suggests that outdoor training is associated with slightly higher vitamin D concentrations when controlling for the season, latitude, and Asian/Caucasian race, the type of training has a numerically and clinically small impact. This suggests that vitamin D levels and the need for supplementation should not be decided based on training type alone.

Selective and efficient sampling of nitrogen-containing compounds from air by in-tube extraction devices packed with zinc oxide-modified mesoporous silica microspheres

Large-sized mesoporous silica spheres loaded with different amounts of ZnO were prepared for the selective and efficient collection of nitrogen-containing compounds from air by in-tube extraction (ITEX) system. Commercial micrometer-sized chromatographic silica beads were modified using the pseudomorphic transformation approach to produce a material with narrow (2.7 nm) mesopores, while the spherical morphology of the particles was retained. The pores were infiltrated with zinc nitrate salt, which was converted to amorphous ZnO via mild thermal treatments at 300 °C. The ZnO infiltration process did not affect the morphology of the particles, but the available surface area decreased with each infiltration cycle. Sampling selectivity and efficiency were increased with the number of infiltration cycles, but problems related to the mechanical stability of the packed ITEX or backpressure were observed when the number of ZnO infiltration cycles was higher than 2. The large particle size of these materials (∼5.0 µm) decreased the backpressure on the ITEX without affecting the sampling selectivity and efficiency. Among nitrogen-containing compounds studied, sampling repeatability (n = 10) ranged between 2.4 (triethylamine) and 16.8% (isobutylamine). ITEX packing reproducibility (n = 3) ranged from 4.8 (pyridine) to 19.4% (isobutylamine). The performance of ITEX sampling devices packed with the material prepared was evaluated for targeted and untargeted analysis of nitrogen-containing compounds in air. Linear regression was used for their quantification in targeted analysis (r2 > 0.995), and the lowest LOD and LOQ values 6.6 and 21.8 ng l-1 were achieved for pyridine. Dipropylamine had the largest linear range from 23.6 to 3194.7 ng l-1. Partial least squared regression was used for the semi-quantification of the compounds identified using untargeted analysis (slope and bias equal to 1 and 0, respectively using full cross validation and Deming regression). The applicability of the ITEX systems with new sorbent materials for the analysis of nitrogen-containing compounds in indoor air, cigarette smoke and outdoor air was demonstrated. The lowest concentration was 0.7 ng l-1 for 1-nitropentane in outdoor air and the highest 1580.4 ng l-1 for acetonitrile in cigarette smoke.

Experimental study on comparison of indoor and multiple outdoor thermal environments excluding visual and acoustic interference

To make holistic assessment of the urban environment, it is important to consider both indoor and outdoor thermal environment. Outdoor thermal parameters play key roles in high quality urban life. This study concentrates on differences between indoor and outdoor thermal comfort excluding visual and acoustic interference. An experiment was carried out in indoor climate chamber and three types of outdoor spaces to explore subjective evaluation and physiological parameters of personnel. Subjects can achieve higher thermal comfort and are less sensitive to the change of thermal parameters outdoors. In a wide range of operative temperature and wind speed in outdoor thermal environment, subjects can be more inclined to stay outdoors. With VR glasses on between 27.5 and 33.5 ℃ under direct sunlight, people feel significantly cooler. In this study, VR glasses and noise-cancelling earphones were used in a pioneering way to exclude the influence of visual and auditory factors and comprehensively compare indoor and outdoor thermal comfort. According to the results, outdoor thermal environment can bring more comfort than indoor air conditioning environment, which highlights the importance of improving outdoor thermal environment. The benefits of comfortable outdoor thermal environments compared with indoor neutral environments can be further explored.