Psycological evaluation of outdoor pedestrian lighting based on rendered images by computer graphics

Abstract

Various lighting environments of residential streets were simulated by computer graphics. By means of these visualized images, subjective impressions of outdoor pedestrian lighting were investigated. As a result, the following three points were clarified:(1) Subjective impressions of night-time residential streets, could be classified into three groups. namely ‹brightness› impression, ‹uniformity› impression and ‹comfort› impression, including impression of security;(2) The combination of Eh (ave) and Ev (min) is important for realizing a comfortable and functional lighting environment in residential area, because these two photometric values had relatively good correlations with the two factors of subjective impressions; and (3) Observing computer graphic images, the subjects could easily assess the impressions. Furthermore, various parameters can be easily and systematically changed or kept constant by CG. Computer graphics can be, therefore, one of the effective methods for appraisal of subjective impressions received from the lighting environment.