Researchers at Iowa State, including contributors from VRAC, have piloted a mobile app that warns residents when indoor temperatures reach dangerous levels. The app is part of the NSF-funded CommHEAT project, which combines real-time sensor data and machine learning to predict heat emergencies in homes, especially in underserved urban areas.
VRAC researchers supported the app’s development through data modeling and interface design, helping ensure the tool is both accurate and accessible. The pilot study focused on Des Moines neighborhoods and aims to inform public health responses to extreme heat, now the leading cause of weather-related deaths in the U.S.