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Fuzzy inference algorithm for quantifying thermal comfort in peri-urban environments

Environment, Development and Sustainability, ISSN: 1573-2975
2024
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Article Description

The alteration of the landscape due to urban concentration can bring effects such as “heat islands” that affect human well-being. The objective was to apply mathematical modeling and ambiance methods to build a classifier based on fuzzy logic that represents different levels of human well-being resulting from the peri-urban transitional area. The specific objectives were to compare different landscapes and their levels of comfort, using the human thermal comfort index and converting RGB images into Ground-Truth annotations to calculate the percentage of landscape elements and determine their influence on the thermal environment. The research consisted in the construction of a mathematical model in which the input variables were the Human Discomfort Index (HDI) and the type of coverage of the area, with the output variable being Human Well-Being (HWB). The model test was carried out with data from field research in the municipality of Dourados, located in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. For the construction of the classifier, pre-trained models with python libraries and Ground-Truth annotations programmed in HTML were used to observe each component in space, being possible to qualify their degrees of relevance by the Mamdani inference method. Defuzzification was performed using the Center of Gravity method, transforming the fuzzy set into a numerical set. The nine environments/microclimates (1A, 1B, 1C; 2A, 2B, 2C; 3A, 3B, 3C) used to test the model presented Uncomfortable or Stressful HDI after 11:00 am and the classifier perfectly represented all the simulations proposed by the operator. The most stressful environment was the asphalt pavement and the best with the inclusion of trees. The fuzzy model demonstrated effectiveness in predicting human well-being based on the collected environmental variables, validating the simulator as a support tool for urban management and allowing adjustments in environmental conditions. The analysis of field data confirmed that vegetation improves thermal comfort in peri-urban zones and mitigates heat islands, reinforcing the importance of urbanization policies that prioritize the inclusion of tree-covered areas.

Bibliographic Details

Rodrigo Couto Santos; Ricardo Baréa; Arthur Carniato Sanches; André Luiz Nascimento Lopes; Raimundo Rodrigues Gomes Filho; Sivanilza Teixeira Machado; Jhon Lennon Bezerra da Silva; Marcos Vinícius da Silva

Springer Science and Business Media LLC

Social Sciences; Economics, Econometrics and Finance; Environmental Science

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