Cognitive psychology

HiPIE laboratory
© Fraunhofer IBP
Daylight and artificial light affect human perception.

Effect of light on humans

The development of new types of light sources and lighting management systems affects the diverse ways lighting can be varied. However, lighting parameters such as light hue or light distribution are no longer just fixed values when it comes to evaluating lighting scenarios; instead, they are increasingly being dynamically adapted to user preferences, activities or daily routines. In psychology, it is a known fact that the amount and type of light a person is exposed to can cause clinical illnesses such as depression, which can be counteracted using different forms of light therapy.

Light affects people's well-being and thus also their behavior and performance. Among others, these aspects are making companies pay more attention to optimal working conditions for their employees in order to ensure competitiveness. Good lighting management should therefore address not only the potential for saving energy but also the optimum resource-saving balance between rooms and the people using them.  

 

A new way of working

Appealing working environments and new office designs will make a lasting contribution to attracting and retaining talents. In this regard, modern office conception and design must be thoroughly planned with the interdisciplinary know-how of professionals: Otherwise, on the contrary, even problems may arise in terms of health and performance – for example, with regard to air quality in "phone booths", acoustics in group offices, or lighting in indoor spaces. 

 

Mass personalization

Mass personalization (MP) stands for the radical focus on the user in the manufacturing industry: the personalization of mass-produced products. The project aims at harnessing the potential of digital transformation for individualized products and services in order to meet the challenge of global competition.

 

Doctoral Study Course “People Inside“

Interdisciplinary cooperation with cognitive psychologists, organization and execution of studies with test subjects.

 

Demand-oriented lighting

Six sub-studies investigated the extent to which the use of context-based lighting has an impact on user acceptance and energy efficiency.

 

Fullspectrum LEDs

Studies on the effect of full spectrum LEDs compared to conventional LEDs, carried out in Fraunhofer IBP’s HiPIE lab in Stuttgart.

 

TaLed

Improving energy efficiency, life cycle balance and overall quality of stay in buildings by implementing micro-structured optical components to enhance the use of daylight.