Effects of Temporal Light Modulation on Individuals Sensitive to Pattern Glare

ABSTRACT

Solid-state lighting systems can vary widely in the degree of temporal light modulation (TLM) of their light output. TLM is known to have visual, cognitive, and behavioral effects but there are few recommendations for limits on the acceptable TLM in everyday lighting systems and there is little information concerning individual differences in sensitivity. This paper is a re-analysis of previously presented data, focusing on two subgroups in a larger sample: those scoring low or high on the Wilkins Pattern Glare Sensitivity (PGS) test, which is a validated test that identifies people at high risk of visual stress. The results show that the PGS groups differed in their sensitivity to TLM conditions, despite short exposures and a restricted field of view.

KEYWORDS:

• Temporal light modulation
• eye movements
• visual comfort
• phantom array
• individual differences

Acknowledgments

The authors thank Patrick Gauthier, Sandra Mancini and Alexandra Thompson at NRC Construction and Michael Royer and Robert Davis at PNNL for their contributions and support to the work reported here.

Disclosure statement

The National Research Council of Canada receives funds from Canadian and foreign government departments and agencies and from private industry that may be affected by the research reported in this paper. Jennifer Veitch serves on committees and boards of the IES, the International Commission on Illumination (CIE), and the International Standards Organization, which write recommendations, standards, and guidance related to the topic of this work. Naomi Miller serves on related committees in the IES and the CIE.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Lighting R&D Program, part of the Building Technologies Office within the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), and by the National Research Council of Canada High Performance Buildings program [project A1-018191]. The data were collected in a prior project [NRC A1-008878] funded by the Jim H. McClung Foundation for Lighting Research, the Independent Electricity System Operator Conservation Fund (Province of Ontario), and the National Research Council of Canada.