Heat protection via app

In summer, Karlsruhe can become unbearably hot. Could a digital companion offering tips and tricks for coping with the heat provide a solution?

On 20 September 2025, the Badische Neue Nachrichten (BNN) newspaper reported on the results of the feasibility study for the 'Heat Companion' research project, conducted by Niklas Heyden from the Institute for Information Systems (WIN), Human-Centered Systems Lab (h-lab). The project provides citizens with a wearable environmental sensor and a smartphone app to record microclimate data (temperature, humidity and air quality) in their everyday lives. The companion app visualises this data and provides context-related tips and recommendations for coping better with extreme heat.
The study aims to investigate how such systems can make urban heat islands more visible, raise awareness and ultimately protect citizens from extreme heat. In the pilot study, participants carried the sensor with them for 14 days (e.g. on their bicycle, bag or belt). A total of 11,059 data points were collected (see study overview), and the feedback was very positive.

The study 'Heat Companion' is being conducted as part of the wir-forschen.digital initiative, which is an infrastructure within the MuT network. More info on the project is available here.