14.02.2023

Sleep well thanks to app

Lighting according to the chronobiological clock of travellers

Long journeys, especially on planes, can have unpleasant consequences: Jet lag is often accompanied by sleep disturbances, fatigue or poor concentration. In air travel, there have already been several successful pilot projects to stabilise the chronobiological rhythm of passengers. However, one light for all is not yet the best solution: because people have different needs.

Individually coordinated lighting concepts
Now researchers from the Lighting Technology Department at Ilmenau University of Technology led by Prof. Christoph Schierz want to close this gap. In the joint research project Chronolite, they are planning to use an app to balance the chronobiological clock of passengers. This is because the "inner clock" regulates the day-night rhythm and thus influences sleep quality and well-being.

The prerequisite for lighting concepts that can be individually adapted to travellers are intelligent sensors for measuring lighting. They are attached to luminaires or windows, for example, but also to personal objects such as glasses or brooches. Connected to the internet, the sensors measure light intensity and colour and send this data to a cloud. The app derives recommendations from this – for example, in which train carriage the lighting is favourable for the passenger. Or it directly dims the light of IoT-capable luminaires and adjusts the light colour at the same time. The app also monitors whether users are getting enough light throughout the day. Similar to a pedometer, such an app could be a natural everyday companion and helper in the future, according to the vision of the science team.

As part of the "Innovation Offensive Artificial Intelligence in Mobility", the joint project is being funded by the German Federal Ministry for Digital Affairs and Transport (BMDV) with about 8.3 million euros.

Back