Fraunhofer IAO
Illumind – rhythmic light effects on humans
Light plays a decisive role in the design of rooms, whether in vehicles or at the workplace. Of particular interest here is the effect that rhythmic light stimulation has on cognitive abilities and mood, and how lighting must be designed to be conducive and pleasantly perceived.
Challenge
The question of how workplaces or vehicle interiors must be optimally designed is gaining increasing attention. The following questions need to be answered: What is the role of lighting? How must the lighting application be designed so that it is cognitively beneficial? How does this effect manifest itself in the brain and behavior? Another challenge is to ensure that the lighting and light application is perceived as pleasant and non-disruptive.
Methodology
The Illumind project series investigate the effect of a rhythmic light application on the brain and behavior in empirical studies in order to derive design recommendations for performance-enhancing lighting in rooms of the future in the next step. In the series of experiments, the decisive parameters (light intensity, frequency and presentation frequency and duration) are varied and the effect of the stimulation is compared. Neuroscientific methods (electroencephalography EEG) and psychological paradigms (e. g. cognitive performance tests such as the Stroop test) as well as questionnaires on subjective perception and acceptance are used.
Results
A demonstrator for rhythmic light stimulation via an LED luminaire was set up in Illumind. Different stimulation protocols showed effects on cognitive state. Particularly of interest and relevance for the application were persistent effects of a rhythmic light application (10Hz) on brain function, which was demonstrated in the EEG in a subject study with a total of 18 participants. In further applications, we are concerned with how an intelligent adaptation of the rhythmic light application to individual preferences and needs can be implemented, for example, via a brain-computer interface.