Designing lighting for biology.
The transitional nature of sunlight has physiological effects on the human body with the suppression of melatonin (a circadian rhythm regulating hormone) in the pineal gland triggered by light in the blue region of visible white light from the sun entering the retina. The circadian cycle normally synchronous with the diurnal pattern of sunlight has been disrupted with the invention of modern artificial light sources. This 3D printed model of an underground train station is used along with LED’s of different colour temperatures to explore an application in which the colour temperature of lighting can be automatically adjusted throughout the day in an environment where sunlight is inaccessible. This creates a luminous environment that mimics natural lighting conditions from dawn to dusk, keeping the occupants circadian clock in phase with the diurnal cycle of the region.
This is an early prototype of the final example.