Ambient lighting adapts automatically

09 Mar 2009

Optics.org speaks to the coordinator of a European project that aims to enhance the lives of the elderly with ambient lighting.

LEDs light the way

A prototype intelligent lighting system that can adapt various light parameters in response to individual needs is the result of a two year project. The €1.9m EU-funded ALADIN project comes to an end in March and targets Europe's ageing population with its ambient lighting design.

"The system uses information from biosensors worn by the occupants of a room or building to determine what users are doing and then changes the lighting accordingly," Edith Maier, project coordinator, told optics.org. "The goal of the project is to use the technology to improve the wellbeing of the elderly, people suffering from age-related illnesses and people with reduced mobility."

Biosensor is worn as a glove

A user wears a glove sensor, which monitors heart rate, body temperature and muscle tension. This information is fed into a control system, which responds by adapting various light parameters such as intensity, light direction and colour.

According to Maier, adaptive lighting can contribute considerably to sound sleep and a regular sleep-wake cycle, which is regulated by people's inner clock. This tends to deteriorate with ageing, but is essential to preserve and enhance comfort and well-being.

"The main innovation consists in adapting different light parameters according to a person's individual biosignals," explained Maier. "Currently, most cognitive assessment is done in a clinical setting, we use sensor-based monitoring combined with adaptive algorithms to assess people's level of functioning in a continuous way and in a real-life setting."

Project partners include the University of Applied Sciences Vorarlberg in Austria, Germany's Bartenback Light Laboratory, Budapest University of Technology and Economics in Hungary and the Politehnica University of Bucharest.

The consortium members are currently in talks with several lighting companies with a view to developing the Aladin prototype into a commercial product. "We are looking at care facilities for the elderly as a potential target group," concluded Maier. "In addition, the intelligent lighting system could be used for increasing the productivity of office workers."