LIGHTING & HUMAN PERFORMANCE

Anushree Sethi
M.Arch, III SEM
 LIGHT: Perception of Human Eye
• Visible light is a small spectrum from the enormous range of
frequencies of electromagnetic radiation.
• Since this narrow band of wavelengths is the means by which
humans see, we refer to it as the visible light spectrum.
• Normally when we use the term "light," we are referring to a type
of electromagnetic wave which stimulates the retina of our eyes.
• This visible light region consists of a spectrum of wavelengths which
range from approximately 700 nanometers (abbreviated nm) to
approximately 400 nm.
 Color: Perception of Human Eye
• When all the wavelengths of the visible light spectrum strike the eye at the same
time, white is perceived. The sensation of white is not the result of a single color of
light. Rather, the sensation of white is the result of a mixture of two or more colors of
light. Thus, visible light - the mix of ROYGBIV - is sometimes referred to as white light.
• White is not a color at all - at least not in the sense that there is a light wave with a
wavelength which is characteristic of white. Rather, white is the combination of all the
colors of the visible light spectrum.
•Black is not actually a color. It is merely the absence of the wavelengths of the visible
light spectrum. So when you are in a room with no lights and everything around you
appears black, it means that there are no wavelengths of visible light striking your eye
as you sight at the surroundings
VISION: Visual System
Structure of the eye
• Cornea
• Iris
The amount of light entering the
lens is controlled by the iris, a
coloured ring of tissue, which
automatically expands and
contracts with the amount of
light present.
• Lens
• Retina & Fovea
The retina, on which the image is
focused, contains light receptors
which are concentrated in a
central area called the fovea,
 Eye’s Field of Vision
• Central field of Vision:
• Approx. 2 degrees above and below the direct line of
sight
• Visual acuity (ability to see detail) is best in this range
• Peripheral Area:
• Horizontal area to the sides of the central vision
• Vertical areas above and below the sentral field of
vision
• Brightness and motion best seen in peripheral vision
 Processing of Visual Information
• Color Perception
This visual process provides us details regarding the
color of the surface or an object.
• The cones detect color. A normal person is
trichromatic
 Sensitivity of Vision
• The light-sensitive receptors on the
retina are of two types. These
receptors respond to different
wavelengths of light in the manner
shown in the diagram, and they give
rise to two types of vision: cone
vision and rod vision.

Diagram showing sensitivity of human

eye to various colors
 Day & Night Vision
• Photopic- Day Vision (Cone Vision)
• The cones are the light receptors that operate when the eye is adapted to
normal levels of light. The spectrum appears coloured. There is a
concentration of cones on the fovea at the centre of the retina and these
are used for seeing details.
• Isocotopic- Night Vision ( Rods Vision)
• The rods are the light receptors that operate when the eye is adapted to
very low levels of light. The rods are much more sensitive than the cones
but the spectrum appears uncoloured. The colourless appearance of
objects in moonlight or starlight is an example of this vision. There is a
concentration of rods at the edges of the retina, which cause the eyes to
be sensitive to movements at the boundary of the field of view.
• Mesopic- Dim Light Vision ( Rod and Cone Vision)
• This occurs when light levels are low but there still is the ability to see
color (between .01 and 1 cd/sq.m. adaption luminance)
 Ageing Eye
Effects of Aging
• Yellowing of the lens
• Opacity of the lens
• Amount of eye reaching the retina
• Time required for visual process
• Visual Acuity and Sensitivity decrease

Common Defects
• Myopia: Can’t focus on far objects ( Near-sighted)
• Hypermetopia: Cant focus on near objects ( Far sightedness)
• Astigmatism: distortion in the shape of the lens
• Presbyopia: Lens loses its elasticity. This problem is generally
corrected with bifocal lens to read.
 Visibility and Visual Performance
Contrast:
• Contrast is the difference in brightness or colours between two parts of the visual
field.
Visual field:
• Visual field is the total extent in space that can be seen when looking in a given
direction.
Visual acuity:
• Acuity is the ability to distinguish between details that are very close together.
This ability increases as the amount of available light increases.
Adaption:
• Adaption is the process occurring as the eyes adjust to the relative brightness or
colour of objects in the visual field. The cones and the rods on the retina take a
significant amount of time to reach full sensitivity.

• Size
• Background Luminous
• Viewing Time
 Light entering the eye

The convex lens focuses the light from a scene

to produce an inverted image of the scene on
the retina.
 Designing with LIGHT
• Light plays a central role in design of a visual
environment.
• The architecture, people and objects are all
made visible by lighting.
• Light influences our well being, the aesthetic
effect and the mood of a room or area.
• It is light that first enables “what you see”.
• A circadian rhythm is a roughly 24-hour cycle in the
biochemical, physiological or behavioral processes of
living entities