Computational Design of Smart Lighting Systems for Visually Impaired People, using VR and AR Simulations

Abstract

This Doctoral Consortium paper presents my dissertation research in a multidisciplinary setting, spanning over the areas of architecture, specifically lighting design and building information modeling, to virtual reality (VR) and perception. Since vision impairments are hardly taken into account in architecture and lighting design today, this research aims to provide the necessary tools to quantify the effects of vision impairments, so design guidelines regarding these impairments can be developed. Another research goal is the determination of the influence of different lighting conditions on the perception of people with vision impairments. This would allow us to develop smart lighting systems that can aid visually impaired people by increasing their visual perception of their environment. This paper also outlines the concept for a tool to automatically generate lighting solutions and compare and test them in VR, as design aid for architects and lighting designers.