Virtual Light and Design!

04/16

Hi guys! There wasn't a lot going on in the lab last week because the graduate students were working on their theses and class work. But Brittany (the graduate student I work with) did show me what she was working on in her Light and Design class, and it involves some really interesting assignments! Brittany and her class went to New Jersey to a retirement development. This development hoped to use more sustainable light sources to light their streets and recreation center. So the class set up a virtual establishment, simulating the development's rooms and streets. They used a special computer program that provided models of the room and tested different light sources to see which ones provided the most light while being more sustainable! The most sustainable lights are LED lights, which last longer and provide more light around a room. Brittany showed me the model she made of a lamppost on the street outside one of the buildings. She could measure the illumiance it provided and could bring factors like distance from street, aging of the lamppost, and weather into play to see how well that lamp could provide light while using less energy over time! It was really cool to see the use of light to help the environment and I loved how hands on the class was in helping other facilities!