scholarly journals Visual Comfort of Tablet Devices under a Wide Range of Ambient Light Levels

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (18) ◽  
pp. 8679
Author(s):  
Hsin-Pou Huang ◽  
Minchen Wei ◽  
Hung-Chung Li ◽  
Li-Chen Ou

E-reading devices are becoming more and more common in our daily life, and they are used under a wide range of ambient light levels, from completely dark to extremely bright conditions. In this study, a psychophysical experiment is carried out to investigate how ambient light level affects the visual comfort of an e-reading device. Human observers compare the visual comfort of pairs of different text-background lightness combinations on a tablet device under three ambient light levels (i.e., 150, 1500, and 15,000 lx). With our previous work, the experimental results show that the trend of visual comfort interval scales below 1500 lx (i.e., Dark, 150, 300, and 1500 lx) are similar to each other but not for those under illuminance above the 1500 lx (i.e., 3000 and 15,000 lx). For the same lightness difference between text and background, the observers tend to read the text with a white background compared to a black background, especially for 3000 and 15,000 lx. Moreover, a black text on a light-gray background is the most comfortable combination under these two illuminance levels. An evaluation model is proposed based on ambient illuminance, screen parameters, and visual estimation to design an optimal viewing condition when reading on the tablet display.

2005 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 37-44 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yi-Hui Lee ◽  
Nima Malakooti ◽  
Marilyn Lotas

Purpose: The use of incubator covers to enhance preterm infants’ rest and recovery is common in the NICU. However, the kinds of covers used vary extensively among and within nurseries. Few data exist on the effectiveness of different types of covers in reducing light levels to the infant. This study compared several types of commonly used incubator covers as to efficacy of light reduction.Design: A descriptive, comparative design was used in this study.Sample: Twenty-three incubator covers were tested, including professional, receiving blanket, hand-crocheted, three-layer quilt, and flannel.Main Outcome Variable: The percentage of light level reduction of different incubator covers under various ambient light level settings.Results: The amount of light reduction provided by incubator covers varies depending on type of fabric as well as percentage of incubator surface shielded by the cover. Dark-colored covers provided greater light reduction than bright/light-colored covers when covers identical in fabric type were compared. The light-reduction efficiency of the covers varied depending on the level of ambient light. Covers provided less light reduction in higher ambient light levels.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Fotios ◽  
C.J. Robbins ◽  
S. Farrall

A recent study investigated the influence of lighting on crime by considering the effect of change in ambient light level on crimes recorded in three US cities for the ten-year period 2010 to 2019. The results suggested a significant increase in robbery after dark, but did not suggest significant change in for any other type of crime. The current study was conducted to validate this by considering crimes recorded in three different US cities. This analysis confirmed the statistically significant increase in robbery after dark. These data do not suggest that change in ambient light level has a practically relevant effect on overall crime counts: in other words, the potential benefit of lighting for crime reduction is limited.


2000 ◽  
Vol 203 (4) ◽  
pp. 685-692 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Nordstrom ◽  
E.J. Warrant

In this paper, we describe the hitherto largely overlooked effect of temperature on the pupil of insect compound eyes. In the turnip moth Agrotis segetum and in two other nocturnal insects with superposition eyes, the lacewing Euroleon nostras and the codling moth Cydia pomonella, the pupil not only opens and closes with changes in the ambient light level, as expected, but also with changes in temperature in the absence of light. In complete darkness, the pupil of A. segetum responds over a wide range of temperatures, with the pupillary pigments migrating to a light-adapted position when the animal is exposed to either low or high temperatures. At temperatures between 21.0 and 22.7 C, the pigments migrate to the fully dark-adapted position, resulting in an open pupil and maximal eye glow. Pupil closure at high temperatures shows two distinct thresholds: the first at 23.8+/−0.7 C and a second some degrees higher at 25.7+/−1.2 C (means +/− s.d., N=10). Temperatures exceeding the first threshold (the activation temperature, T(a)) initiate a closure of the pupil that is completed when the temperature exceeds the second threshold (the closure temperature, T(c)), which causes rapid and complete migration of pigment to the light-adapted position. All temperatures above T(a) affect the pupil, but only temperatures exceeding T(c) result in complete closure. Temperatures between T(a) and T(c) cause a slow, partial and rather unpredictable closure. The lacewing and the codling moth both show very similar responses to those of A. segetum, suggesting that this response to temperature is widespread in superposition eyes. The possibility that the ambient temperature could be used to pre-adapt the eye to different light intensities is discussed.


2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (8) ◽  
pp. 190677 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carina Nebel ◽  
Petra Sumasgutner ◽  
Adrien Pajot ◽  
Arjun Amar

To avoid predation, many species rely on vision to detect predators and initiate an escape response. The ability to detect predators may be lower in darker light conditions or with darker backgrounds. For birds, however, this has never been experimentally tested. We test the hypothesis that the response time of avian prey (feral pigeon Columbia livia f. domestica ) to a simulated hawk attack (taxidermy mounted colour-polymorphic black sparrowhawk Accipiter melanoleucus ) will differ depending on light levels or background colour. We predict that response will be slower under darker conditions, which would translate into higher predation risk. The speed of response of prey in relation to light level or background colour may also interact with the colour of the predator, and this idea underpins a key hypothesis proposed for the maintenance of different colour morphs in polymorphic raptors. We therefore test whether the speed of reaction is influenced by the morph of the hawk (dark/light) in combination with light conditions (dull/bright), or background colours (black/white). We predict slowest responses to morphs under conditions that less contrast with the plumage of the hawk (e.g. light morph under bright light or white background). In support of our first hypothesis, pigeons reacted slower under duller light and with a black background. However, we found no support for the second hypothesis, with response times observed between the hawk-morphs being irrespective of light levels or background colour. Our findings experimentally confirm that birds detect avian predators less efficiently under darker conditions. These conditions, for example, might occur during early mornings or in dense forests, which could lead to changes in anti-predator behaviours. However, our results provide no support that different morphs may be maintained in a population due to differential selective advantages linked to improved hunting efficiencies in different conditions due to crypsis.


PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (7) ◽  
pp. e0254027
Author(s):  
Shashank Kishore Bhandary ◽  
Rohit Dhakal ◽  
Vishwa Sanghavi ◽  
Pavan Kumar Verkicharla

Purpose Considering that time spent outdoors is protective for myopia, we investigated how ambient light levels reaching the eye varies across 9 outdoor and 4 indoor locations in 5 different environmental conditions. Methods Illuminance (lux) was recorded using a lux meter under conditions of weather (sunny/cloudy), time of a day (7:00,10:00,13:00, and 16:00 hours), seasons (summer/winter), and sun protection (hat and cap) in outdoor and indoor locations. Nine outdoor locations were “open playground”, “under a translucent artificial-shade”, “under a porch facing east”, “under a porch facing south”, “under a big tree”, “between three buildings”, “within 4 buildings”, and “canopy”. As a ninth outdoor location, “Under a glass bowl” in the outdoor location was used as a simulation for “glass classroom model” and measurement was taken at the floor level only to determine in overall the illuminance conditions with glass covered on all sides. The 4 indoor locations included “room with multiple large windows”, “room with combination light source”, “room with multiple artificial lights”, and “room with single artificial light”. Results The overall median illuminance level (median; Q1-Q3) recorded in 9 outdoor locations was 8 times higher than that of all indoor locations (1175;197–5400 lux vs. 179;50–333 lux). Highest illuminance in outdoor locations was recorded in “open playground” (9300;4100–16825 lux), followed by “under a translucent artificial shade (8180;4200–13300 lux) and the lowest in “within 4 buildings” (11;6–20 lux). Illuminance under ‘Canopy’, ‘between three buildings’ and ‘within four buildings’ was similar to that of indoor locations (<1000 lux). Time of the day, weather, season, sensor position and using sun protection did not alter illuminance to change from high to low level (>1000 to <1000 lux). Among indoor locations, illuminance in “room with multiple large windows” crossed 1000 lux at a specific time points on both sunny and cloudy days. Conclusions Illuminance levels in outdoors and indoors varied with location type, but not with other conditions. Given the variation in illuminance in different locations, and the impact it may have on myopia control, appropriate detailed recommendations seems necessary while suggesting time outdoors as an anti-myopia strategy to ensure desired outcomes.


2018 ◽  
Vol 43 (7) ◽  
pp. 955-959 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Dastiridou ◽  
Kenneth Marion ◽  
Moritz Niemeyer ◽  
Brian Francis ◽  
Srinivas Sadda ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
Vol 168 (7) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jenny Fong ◽  
Rosa Celia Poquita-Du ◽  
Peter A. Todd

AbstractThis study examines phenotypically plastic responses in Pocillopora acuta collected from a highly urbanized reef environment to extreme low-light conditions. While among-species differences in how corals cope with low light are well documented, much less is known about within-species responses. It also remains unclear how extreme low light and provision of food may interact and influence coral physiology. Clonal fragments from six colonies (genotypes) of P. acuta were subjected to two light treatments with mean midday irradiances of 4 and 40 μmol photons m−2 s−1 photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), representing just 0.5 and 5% ambient light level, and were either fed with zooplankton or not fed for nine days. Corals maintained in 4 PAR had lower endosymbiont density but higher cellular chlorophyll a concentration than those in 40 PAR. Feeding rates were similar in both light treatments and had no significant effects on endosymbiont density and chlorophyll a concentrations. While genotypes varied in the level of phenotypic plasticity expressed for both photoacclimation and heterotrophy, most displayed similar directions in their responses, indicating photoacclimation in P. acuta is broadly predictable. Our study demonstrates that P. acuta from Singapore is able to acclimate to very low-light conditions by adjusting their photophysiology, providing additional evidence that this species is resilient to urbanization-related stress.


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