MSc LL Katja Leszczynska 2010

NEW TECHNOLOGIES IN AIRCRAFT CABIN LIGHTING:

WHAT IS THE IMPACT OF MOOD LIGHTING PASSENGERS’ SATISFACTION ON
BOARD AN AIRCRAFT ?

A dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of
Master of Science in Light and Lighting

The Bartlett School of Graduate Studies Author: Katarzyna Leszczynska
University College London Supervisor: Peter Raynham
September 2010 Course Director: Dr. Kevin Mansfield

MSc LIGHT AND LIGHTING ￭ NEW TECHNOLOGIES IN AIRCRAFT CABIN LIGHTING ￭
THE BARTLETT FACULTY OF THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT ￭ LONDON ￭ SEPTEMBER 2010 ￭

NEW TECHNOLOGIES IN AIRCRAFT CABIN LIGHTING:

WHAT IS THE IMPACT OF MOOD LIGHTING PASSENGERS’ SATISFACTION ON
BOARD AN AIRCRAFT ?

LIST OF FIGURES v

LIST OF TABLES vii

LIST OF IMAGES viii

LIST OF FILES ON ATTACHED CD: viii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ix

ABSTRACT 10

1 INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND RESEARCH 11

1.1 AIRCRAFT LIGHTING 11

1.2 CURRENT RESEARCH 12

1.3 CABIN LIGHTING DESIGN 13

1.3.1 MOOD LIGHTING 15

1.3.2 AIRLINES CORPORATE IDENTITY 19

1.3.3 COLOUR PSYCHOLOGY 21

2 THE PILOT STUDY 24

2.1 SURVEY AMONG LIGHTING DESIGNERS 24

2.2 INTERPRETATION OF THE RESULTS 25

2.2.1 PARTICIPANTS 25

2.2.2 RESPONDENTS GENERAL OPINIONS ABOUT MOOD LIGHTING IN AIRPLANES 27

2.2.3 MAIN ACTIVITIES 31

2.3 GENERAL COMMENTS AND CONCLUSIONS 38

3 RESEARCH PROBLEM 40

4 METHODOLOGY - THE EXPERIMENT 41

￭ MSc LIGHT AND LIGHTING ￭ NEW TECHNOLOGIES IN AIRCRAFT CABIN LIGHTING ￭ KATJA LESZCZYNSKA
ii

4.1 ROOM AND EQUIPMENT 41

4.2 TEST SUBJECTS 44

4.3 EXPERIMENTAL SET UP 44

4.4 THE QUESTIONNAIRE 49

4.5 EXPERIMENTAL TASKS 51

4.6 EXPERIMENTAL PROCESS 54

4.7 EXPERIMENTAL LIMITATIONS 56

5 PRESENTATION OF THE RESULTS 58

5.1 TEST SUBJECTS 58

5.2 TESTED LIGHTING SCENES 59

5.2.1 WHITE SCENES 61

5.2.3 DYNAMIC SCENES 64

5.3 LIGHTING SCENES EVALUATION 67

5.3.1 GENERAL SCENE EVALUATION 67

5.3.2 MAIN ACTIVITIES 71

5.3.3 DYNAMIC SCENES EVALUATION 75

5.3.4 SUMMARY 75

5.4 COMMENTS ABOUT THE EXPERIMENT 78

6 ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF THE RESULTS 80

6.1 GROUPS A AND B 80

6.2 GENDER 83

6.3 AGE GROUPS 84

6.4 AISLE / WINDOW 85

6.5 WHITE SCENES 87

6.6 MAIN ACTIVITIES 89

6.7 DYNAMIC SCENES 92

iii

7 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATION FOR THE FUTURE RESEARCH 94

9 BIBLIOGRAPHY 96

10 APPENDIX 99

APPENDIX 1 – PILOT STUDY: SURVEY AMONG LIGHTING DESIGNER a

APPENDIX 2 – PILOT STUDY: SURVEY RESULTS d

APPENDIX 3 – EXPERIMENTAL AGENDA (DIEHL AEROSPACE) j

APPENDIX 4 – DESCRIPTION OF TESTED LIGHTING SCENES k

APPENDIX 5 – SPECTRAL DISTRIBUTION OF TESTED LIGHTING CONDITIONS x

APPENDIX 6 – EXPERIMENTAL QUESTIONNAIRE IN ORIGINAL LANGUAGE – GERMAN z

APPENDIX 7 – EXPERIMENTAL QUESTIONNAIRE TRANSLATED INTO ENGLISH – SUMMARY nn

APPENDIX 8 – READING TASK DURING THE EXPERIMENT IN ORIGINAL LANGUAGE – GERMAN uu

APPENDIX 9 – DRAWING TASK DURING THE EXPERIMENT – DRAWING BY NUMBERS ww

APPENDIX 10 – DUTY FREE BROCHURE IN ORIGINAL LANGUAGE – ENGLISH yy

APPENDIX 11 – SUMMARY OF THE EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS aaa

iv

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1: Aircraft Lighting ......................................................................................................... 12
Figure 2: Influential factors of the design the cabin lighting system ...................................... 14
Figure 3: Advantages of new cabin lighting systems ............................................................... 16
Figure 4: Pilot Study: participants split into gender................................................................. 25
Figure 5: Pilot Study: Split into the years of experience within lighting design ...................... 26
Figure 6: Pilot Study: Split into different sectors of lighting design......................................... 26
Figure 7: Respondents’ feelings about mood lighting on planes ............................................. 28
Figure 8: Gender split: Respondents’ feelings about mood lighting on planes ....................... 28
Figure 9: Years of professional experience: Respondents’ feelings about mood lighting on
planes ....................................................................................................................................... 29
Figure 10: Mood lighting in airplane cabin .............................................................................. 29
Figure 11: Respondents’ feelings about mood lighting for the RELAX during a flight ............. 32
Figure 12: Gender split: Respondents’ feelings about mood lighting for the RELAX during a
flight ......................................................................................................................................... 32
Figure 13: Respondents’ opinions about lighting during the DUTY FREE SHOP during a flight
.................................................................................................................................................. 33
Figure 14: Years of professional experience: Respondents’ opinions about specific lighting
during the DUTY FREE SHOP .................................................................................................... 34
Figure 15: Years of professional experience: Respondents’ opinions about colour changing
lighting during the DUTY FREE SHOP ....................................................................................... 34
Figure 16: Respondents’ opinions about different lighting scenes for ENTRY and EXIT ......... 35
Figure 17: Respondents’ opinions about colour changing lighting for ENTRY and EXIT.......... 36
Figure 18: Gender split: Respondents’ opinions about colour changing lighting for ENTRY and
EXIT ........................................................................................................................................... 36
Figure 19: Respondents’ opinions about colour changing lighting for all activities ................ 37
Figure 20: Gender split: Respondents’ opinions about colour changing lighting for all
activities ................................................................................................................................... 37
Figure 21: Colour transition in LS07 ......................................................................................... 47
Figure 22: Example of the semantic differential scale used in the questionnaire................... 50
Figure 23: Experimental procedure illustrating lighting scenes with related activities .......... 52

v

Figure 24: Duration of each lighting scene LS01 - LS11 ........................................................... 52
Figure 25: Duration of the breaks B01 and B02 ....................................................................... 52
Figure 26: Images of tested lighting scenes in the chronological order .................................. 53
Figure 27: Experiment participants divided by gender ............................................................ 58
Figure 28: Experiment participants divided by age.................................................................. 58
Figure 29: The presentation of calculated CRI and CCT for tested lighting conditions ........... 60
Figure 30: Spectral distribution of LS 03, LS 06 and LS 09 ....................................................... 61
Figure 31: Comparison of the spectral distribution of LS 02, LS 03 and LS 04. ........................ 63
Figure 34: Spectral distribution and chromacity coordinates plotted on the CIE 1931 x,y
space for LS07........................................................................................................................... 65
Figure 35: Comparison of the spectral distribution of LS 11a, b and c. ................................... 66
Figure 36: Comparison of the average responses to the Question 1 for each lighting scene . 68
Figure 37: Comparison of the average responses to the Question 3 for each lighting scene . 68
Figure 38: Comparison of the average responses to the Question 2 (a,b,c,d,e,f) for each
lighting scene............................................................................................................................ 71
Figure 39: Respondents’ opinions about lighting during MEAL scenes ................................... 72
Figure 40: Respondents’ opinions about lighting during RELAX/WORK scenes ...................... 73
Figure 41: Respondents’ opinions about lighting during DUTY FREE scenes........................... 74
Figure 42: Question 8 (LS 07) and 6 ( LS 11)............................................................................. 75
Figure 43: The most preferable lighting scenes ....................................................................... 76
Figure 44: The less preferable lighting scenes ......................................................................... 77
Figure 45: Comparison of the results from Group A and B to the Question: “How do you
feel?” ........................................................................................................................................ 80
Figure 46: Comparison of the results from Group A and B to the Question: “How do you feel
under this lighting condition?” very good (2) – very bad (-2) .................................................. 81
Figure 47: Comparison of the results from Group A and B about difficulties in performing
tasks (Question 3) very easy (2) – very difficult (-2) ................................................................ 82
Figure 48: Comparison of the results from Group A and B to the Question: “How natural was
looking the skin under this lighting condition?” very natural (2) – not at all (-2).................... 83
Figure 49: Age split: Respondents’ general opinions about lighting scenes LS04, LS08 .......... 84

vi

Figure 50: Age split: Respondents’ opinions about lighting during reading task and reading
the duty free brochure. too dark (2) – too much light (-2) ...................................................... 85
Figure 51: General results to the Question about Colour Rendering and the calculated CRI . 86
Figure 52: Comparison of the results from Window and Aisle seats to the Question: “How
natural was looking the skin under this lighting condition?” very natural (2) – not at all (-2) 86
Figure 53: Comparison of the results from Window and Aisle seats - general appraisal of the
LS02 .......................................................................................................................................... 87
Figure 54: Comparison of respondents’ general opinions about lighting during the white
scenes ....................................................................................................................................... 88
scenes: Pleasant (2) – Unpleasant (-2) .................................................................................... 88
scenes: Dramatic (2) – Unobtrusive (-2).................................................................................. 89
scenes: Stimulating (2) – Irritating (-2).................................................................................... 89
Figure 58: Respondents’ opinions about lighting scene LS07: Questions 8 and 9 .................. 92
Figure 59: Respondents’ opinions about lighting scene LS07: Questions 6 and 7 .................. 92

LIST OF TABLES
Table 1: The initial summary of the lighting scenes ................................................................. 46
Table 2: The summary of the illumiance and luminance levels for each lighting scenes ........ 49
Table 3: Summary of activities and performed tasks ............................................................... 51
Table 4: Summary of two runs of the experiment ................................................................... 54
Table 5: The summary of the colour properties for each lighting scenes ............................... 60
Table 6: The summary of the main criteria for choosing the lighting scenes .......................... 62

vii

LIST OF IMAGES
Image 1: Innovative mood lighting applied throughout the cabin of the new Airbus 380 ..... 15
Image 2: Control panel for Virgin Atlantic ............................................................................... 17
Image 3: Training Mock up for Virgin Atlantic Upper Class Suite ............................................ 18
Image 4: Example of corporate colours (Air France) projected onto cabin lighting ................ 20
Image 5: Lighting design for Virgin Atlantic Upper Class Suite launched in 2004 ................... 21
Image 6: Mood lighting in Business Class on board of Emirates Airlines ............................... 23
Image 7: Experimental room with allocation of the chairs ...................................................... 42
Image 8: Sketch of the Experimental Mock up with the indicated position of the light ......... 43
Image 9: Initial sketches of proposed lighting scenes.............................................................. 45
Image 10: Experimental room with indicated illuminance and luminance measuring points 48
Image 11: Snacks used in tested scenes LS02, LS03 and LS04 ................................................. 55
Image 12: Brochure and packs of sweets used during Duty Free Shopping scenes ................ 56
Image 13: Photographs of tested lighting scenes chosen for MEAL: LS02, LS03, LS04 ........... 90
Image 14: Photographs of tested lighting scenes chosen for RELAX/WORK: LS05, LS06, LS07
.................................................................................................................................................. 91
Image 15: Photographs of tested lighting scenes chosen for DUTY FREE SHOP: LS08, LS09,
LS10 .......................................................................................................................................... 91
Image 16: Photos of different conditions during the dynamic lighting scene LS11 ................ 93

LIST OF FILES ON ATTACHED CD:

File 01: Excel File – Pilot Study Results
File 02: Excel File – Calculation of CCT and CRI for tested lighting scenes
File 03: Excel File – Experimental Results
Folder: Photographs – Main Experiment

viii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Many thanks to:

Peter Raynham for great support and guidance throughout the whole dissertation, for
reminding me about the essential elements of the report, for being always available for
productive meetings.

Kevin Mansfield for encouraging me to choose not the easiest but the most interesting
subject to research.

Melih Demir (Airbus) for the passion to fly, for first sparking my interest in the research
problem and inspiring the course of the dissertation’s work.

Dirk– Achim Schevardo (Diehl Aerospace) and Peter Younes (Diehl Aerospace) for their
engagement and great support throughout the theoretical and practical part of the thesis

Diehl Aerospace for the unique opportunity of conducting the experiment in their research
facilities.

Prof. Poisel (OHM University) for motivating 18 enthusiastic students to participate in the
experiment.

Students of OHM University and Prof. Poisel for being the test subjects and for their
significant input into the research results.

Lighting Designers for taking part in the pilot study and providing me with their thoughts and
criticisms about the research topic.

Katja Winkelman (Licht 01), Daniel Heydron (Airbus), Des O’Donnavan (dha design), David
Gadd (Virgin Atlantic) for their time and suggestions that helped me to gain a practical
understanding of the research problem.

My employer (tpbennett) for their understanding and for giving me flexible time off during
the research.

My family and friends for their patience and support throughout the intense time.

ix

ABSTRACT

This research investigates the impact of mood lighting in the aircraft on the passengers’
satisfaction on board.

Due to insufficient publications related to the subject, the background research for this study
was mostly based on the statements of aircraft lighting manufactures. Additional interviews
with experienced lighting designers were conducted and have led to designing the pilot
study questionnaire. 50 lighting designers took part in the survey and shared their ideas and
preferences about cabin lighting design. The summary of the results is presented in this
study and the analysis of the results influenced the design of the main experiment.

The experiment was undertaken in an aircraft cabin mock up and was conducted on 19
participants who were exposed to 11 lighting scenes. The variation between the scenes was
achieved by means of separately addressable LED ceiling and side wall lights. Different
colour and intensity light conditions were tested and the participants were asked to perform
predefined tasks. The participants evaluated each of the tested lighting scenes by means of
a semantic differential scale. All of the results were collected and a summary is presented in
the report. The analysis of the results showed that the white scenes were the most preferred
lighting conditions for performing tasks. In terms of creating visual interest and a relaxing
atmosphere light saturated colours were preferred. The lowest rated scenes consisted of
high saturated light colours as well as quick colour changes.

Word count: 14 120 (Main Text)
2 700 (Additional Text)

10

1 INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND RESEARCH

Nowadays lighting is becoming very dominant in people’s daily lives. People are paying more
attention to how their homes, work places and leisure facilities are lit. Besides the lighting
for the visual comfort and visual performance, current research is focused on the influence
of light on the human body. The illumination of the interior places where people spend most
of the time is very important to their health, mood and wellbeing.

The rising necessity and desire to travel obligates researchers to investigate how lighting in
the transport sector can be improved. With the increasing tempo of life for many people
traveling is becoming an integral part of their lives. Travellers trying to use time effectively
are working, reading or relaxing while being on a train or an airplane.

In the last 15 years the number of passengers on domestic and international flights has
doubled1 and the forecast for the next 20 years predicts that airline traffic worldwide will
more than double and some 25,000 new aircraft will be needed by 2028.2

This report explores different lighting scenarios for general cabin lighting in passenger
aircrafts and their impact on passengers’ satisfaction onboard a plane.

1.1 AIRCRAFT LIGHTING

Aircraft lighting generally can be divided into exterior and interior lighting.

The external lights on aircraft (navigation lights, beacons, take off and landing lights) are
located along the exterior of the aircraft. Planes are equipped with a variety of lights that are
used for navigation, safety, and to improve visibility during flights or when taxiing on the
runway.3

1
International Civil Aviation Organization: 1,304 mln in 1995 – 2,271 mln in 2008 (ICAO 2008)
2
http://www.airbus.com/en/corporate/gmf2009 “Airbus Global Market Forecast 2009-2028” (AIRBUS S.A.S. 2009)
3
http://www.aerospaceweb.org (Yoon 2006)

11

Interior lighting is to differentiate between cockpit lighting and cabin lighting. Cockpit
lighting is divided into smaller categories, like cockpit ambient lighting, instrument panel
lights, pilot reading lights, console lighting and maintenance lights.4

Cabin lighting can be distinguished between general lighting, task lighting and emergency
lighting. General lighting consists of side wall and ceiling lighting, task lighting - spots and
reading lights; and emergency lighting includes signage, exit, and emergency lighting.5

The research stated in this report takes only general lighting in the cabin under
consideration (Figure 1).

Aircraft Lighting

Exterior Interior

navigation lights take off and
cockpit lighting cabin lighting
or beacons landing lights

general task emergency
lighting lighting lighting

Figure 1: Aircraft Lighting

1.2 CURRENT RESEARCH

Due to the constant competition between aircraft manufacturers, very few studies about
passengers’ perception of cabin lighting have been published and many findings remain
confidential. Therefore, the first part of the background research is mostly based on the
current information available from aircraft manufacturers and cabin lighting suppliers.

The Lighting Research Center (LRC)6 in cooperation with Boeing (since 2005) is working on
developing innovative and efficient lighting solutions for use on commercial flights. The LRC
is evaluating present cabin lighting designs and comparing them with new products which
4
http://www.pageaerospace.co.uk (Page Aerospace Limited 2010)
5
http://www.diehl-aerospace.com/index.php?id=3597 (Diehl Aerospace GmbH 2010)
6
Lighting Research Center, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, USA

12

are available on the market7. Current SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers)8 guidelines are
based on the “old” technology and do not have the level of specification needed for LED
implementation. The research undertaken by LRC (Narendran 2005) comparing halogen and
LED reading lights has led to the incorporation of some of the LRC recommendations into the
SAE specifications.9 Modifying the SAE standards to include colour, glare, long time
performance and energy consumption would reform cabin lighting design and improve the
quality of passengers experience and satisfaction on board a plane.

Currently studies undertaken by the Lighting Research Center as well as the Fraunhofer
Institute10 concentrate on passengers’ perception of coloured lighting as well as the
possibility of reducing the jet lag effect through applying mood lighting on board. Both
institutes are working very closely with airplane or lighting manufacturers and none of their
findings have been published to date.

1.3 CABIN LIGHTING DESIGN

Cabin lighting is a basic cabin function as well as an integral part of cabin design. In order to
achieve the desired lighting effect lighting designers work very closely with interior
designers. The created atmosphere depends very much on the seats and floor finishes, walls
and ceiling colours and reflection values. Therefore, aircraft designers should be thinking
about lighting during the design stage rather than as a single fitting product.

“The cabin is an integrated system, and while everyone interprets colour differently (...) a
lighting system is as much of a design as any other product. A lot of lighting is done at the
end of the design and then it is too late to take an overall cabin approach." 11

7
http://www.lrc.rpi.edu/resources/newsroom/pr_story.asp?id=52 (Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute 2005)
8
http://www.sae.org/technical/standards
9
Document Number: ARP5873 “LED Passenger Reading Light Assembly” A-20AC Crew Station and Interior Lighting
Committee (2007)
10
Fraunhofer-Institut für Bauphysik (IBP), Holzkirchen, Germany. European research project: ICE – Ideal Cabin
Environment was undertaken in the Flight Test Facility at the Frauenhofer Aviation Research Centre
11
http://www.aviationtoday.com/av/categories/commercial/29921.html (Rosenberg 2009)

13

The specific requirements of the aircraft industry make cabin illumination a special
challenge. The primary goal is the security and comfort of the passenger, but also technical
parameters, like performance, energy consumption, and weight, have to also be considered
(Figure 2).

Cabin Lighting System

Interfaces
with Cabin Maintainability
Quality of Programming
Performance Lining and and Cost of Customisation
Light and Control
Cabin Ownership
Furnishing

12
Figure 2: Influential factors of the design the cabin lighting system

LED lighting has been introduced into aircraft design gradually over last few years. New
generation super size planes, both the Airbus 380 and Boeing 787, are featuring “bulb less”
illumination systems. LEDs are applied in the cabin, cockpit, cargo and other areas. Standard
cabin lighting is equipped in LED in three colours instead of fluorescent tubes allowing the
aircraft to create a wide range of colour combinations.13

Kato14 from Korry Electronics15 says: "LED technology now has made sufficient progress to
utilize RGB colours and a true white LED with sufficient brightness."16 According to O ‘Neil
(2002), solid-sate technology promises a significant change and remarkable improvements in
cabin lighting systems. It provides more reliable and robust lighting, higher flexibility in
installation and a wider range of lighting effects and combinations of lighting scenes. All
those factors positively influence the safety, cabin ambience as well as wellbeing of the
passengers and the crew. From an economical point of view, very important aspects of LED

12
Diehl Aerospace presentation: “Take off towards new horizons” Release: March 2009
13
http://www.diehl-aerospace.de/index.php?id=3638 (Diehl Aerospace GmbH 2007)
14
Dean Kato, product manager in the Optical Products and Services division of Korry Electronics.
15
Korry Electronics Co. manufactures electro-optical cockpit control and display solutions for the aerospace and defence
industry in the United States
16

14

lighting systems are the ease of installation, maintenance, and operating cost (O’Neil 2002).
The economical advantages of using the latest technologies in cabin lighting is confirmed by
Kato (Korry Electronics): “Lifecycle cost is key so if you can buy something that is equivalent
to the cost of today’s technology but with increased reliability then you will decrease lifecycle
costs."17

Another important improvement in cabin design is the increased size of the windows applied
in the Boeing 787 and planned in the Airbus 350 (Wallace 2007). Instead of mechanical
window shades, an electrochromic dimmable window system has been designed to control
the level of exterior light in the cabin.18 The Incorporation of daylight within the intelligent
interior lighting system has great potential in changing passenger experience aboard
together with the perception of the space.

1.3.1 MOOD LIGHTING

The mood lighting effect is created by means of LED elements. The advanced technology
called MELODY (Modular Enhanced Low Dimming) allows the cabin light to be dimmed down
to 0.1 per cent and gradually increased again, creating very subtle transitions.19 The LED
lights are available in single colour or a range of multi-coloured configurations. By
introducing an advanced light control system the colour, tone and brightness can be
manipulated and an unlimited variety of lighting scenes can be generated (O’Neil 2002).

20
Image 1: Innovative mood lighting applied throughout the cabin of the new Airbus 380

17
18
Boeing 787 Dreamliner Series. “Online Insights” (Boeing 2008)
19
http://www.thalesgroup.com/Case_Studies/Countries/Spain/091123La_tecnología_de_Thales_a_bordo_del_A380
(Thales Groupe 2009)
20
http://www.diehl-aerospace.de/index.php?id=3638 (Diehl Aerospace GmbH 2007)

15

Advantages of New Cabin Lighting Systems

flexible zone individual zone incorporated free scenario easy crew
configuration control special features definition operation

21
Figure 3: Advantages of new cabin lighting systems

In O’ Neil (2002) opinion by using LED elements it is easier to apply colour wash to surfaces
in order to create an interesting ambient atmosphere and indirect lighting effects. A number
of the biggest airlines have already installed such LED-driven mood lighting in their cabins.22
Most airlines apply mood lighting only in the Business or Upper class areas but for example,
Emirates and Thai Airways welcome their passengers with coloured lighting even in economy
class.23

Scover24 from B/E Aerospace25 confirmed that the first colour concepts for mood lighting
were designed to augment the cabin colours (Malaysia Airlines). The recent trend changed
to where not everyone wanted colour in the cabin, but instead wanted to have a tone white
light and a bright, cooler light for welcoming and departure and a more amber light during
mealtimes. 26

Katja Winkelmann,27 an experienced lighting designer agreed with this observation. For
cabin lighting Winkelman suggested mostly the use of white lighting with higher lighting
levels and colder light for activating phases like at the beginning and end of a flight, and a
warm white lighting for relaxation thus creating an evening atmosphere, simulating candle
light.

21
Diehl Aerospace presentation: “Take off towards new horizons” Release: March 2009
22
23
The conversation with Schevardo (Diehl Aerospace) took place on 14.04.2010 in Nuremberg, Germany
24
Stephen Scover, vice president and general manager of the lighting division of B/E Aerospace
25
B/E Aerospace is US based provider of interior products for the commercial, business jet and military markets
26
27
founder of Licht 01– Lighting Design Studio in Hamburg, Germany http://www.licht01.de

16

Scover (B/E Aerospace) explained that the mood lighting themes are pre-programmed and
can be controlled by the cabin crew during the flight through a variety of touch panel
displays.28 Desmond O’Donovan,29 project designer responsible for the lighting concept for
Virgin Atlantic, sees a weak point in this procedure. The carefully designed and chosen
lighting scenarios are subject to the crews. In O’Donovan’s opinion the user-unfriendly
designed control interface results in applying simpler solutions and not fully utilising pre –set
lighting scenes (Image 2).

30
Image 2: Control panel for Virgin Atlantic

David Gadd31 from Virgin Atlantic explains that continuous crew training is essential in order
to achieve a constantly adequately lit space throughout the flight. In the crew training cabin
mock-up (Image 3) Virgin Atlantic instructs the crew on how to create a pleasant
atmosphere with pre defined lighting scenario.

28
29
Lighting designer for dha design, London
30
Source: Virgin Atlantic
31
Customer Experience Designer for Virgin Atlantic, London

17

32
Image 3: Training Mock up for Virgin Atlantic Upper Class Suite

Cabin lighting manufacturers are convinced about the superiority of mood lighting. They
share the opinion that mood lighting could contribute to minimising the jet lag effect. A
Boeing engineer Price explains: "Because LED lights can do a very slow fade down into the
night time environment and a very slow fade back to the daytime environment, passengers
can fall asleep much more naturally and wake up much more naturally, which helps set their
sleep cycles".33 Dirk-Achim Schevardo34 from Diehl Aerospace35 confirmed that by adapting
the complete course of a day to the new time zone at the flight destination, the passenger
can be pre-set to the new time zone artificially, which might contribute to reducing the
negative effects of jet-lag.36

Winkelmann argues: “People do not want to be influenced by light too strongly. The light in
the cabin should have a positive impact on visual performance and mood, but not on the

32
33
http://www.sciencedaily.com/videos/2007/0204-fly_jet_lag_free.htm (Science Daily 2007)
34
Manager New Programs and Productline Strategy, Business Line Cabin Customisation Interior for Diehl Aerospace
35
Diehl Aerospace is a Joint venture between Diehl BGT Defence and Thales Group operating in the field of Avionics
Diehl Aerospace is a Germany based manufacturer of components for aerospace ranging from cockpit to cabin systems.
36

18

biological rhythm. The Biological effect of the mood light imposed by the airline could be too
strong for some of the passengers.”37

The current state of research indicates a need of further investigation. Many studies were
undertaken in the field of jet lag reduction and different paths were investigated. Nicholson
(2006) comparing jet lag research to date, states that there is no universal solution to the
problem. The exposure to artificial light and avoidance of ambient light at certain times of
the day could prove to be of help. In contrast to the strategies that focus on shifting
circadian rhythms post flight, Burgess et al (2003) and Boivin et al (2002) are proposing
schemes that shift circadian rhythms prefight. According to Burgess et al (2003) three or
more days of pre-flight adjustment to eastward travel could be potentially used to eliminate
the jet lag effect. The latest study undertaken by Evans et al (2009) showed that the
presence of low-level light at night accelerates the recovery rate in both east- and west-
travelling hamsters of all ages by 50%. The crucial advantage of the dim night-time
illumination is that it accelerated recovery in both eastward and westward directions. Apart
from pre- and post-flight adjustment to the new time zone, more research is needed in
reducing the jet lag effect during the flight itself.

1.3.2 AIRLINES CORPORATE IDENTITY

Advanced lighting systems allow an airline to project its brand look and feel throughout the
cabin. Coloured lighting can be a powerful reinforcer of the airlines brand in the minds of
their customers.

Diehl Aerospace which is developing lighting scenarios for various airlines explains the
design process. At the beginning the airline decides what the key point for their lighting
installation is and which aspect is the most important for them. Some airliners decide on
emphasizing their corporate identity colours, others aim at achieving an unforgettable “wow
effect” and some prefer to concentrate on good lighting without putting it into the
foreground.38

37
The telephone conversation took place on 27.05.2010.
38
The conversation with Schevardo (Diehl Aerospace) took place on 14.04.2010 in Nuremberg, Germany.

19

39
Image 4: Example of corporate colours (Air France) projected onto cabin lighting

According to Ziwckel40 from Schott Aviation41 the power of lighting should be exercised with
care. Zwickel says “Much depends on what the brand itself represents – lifestyle and fun, like
Virgin, or something much more conservative. If it’s the latter, splashing the brand in first
class could be counter – productive.”42

Gadd (Virgin Atlantic) confirms that the launch of the Upper Class Suite with incorporated
mood lighting positively influenced the sales of business class seats.43

39
The photo was taken in the Diehl’s Aerospace Facilities in Nuremberg, Germany
40
Sales Manager at Schott Aviation
41
Schott Aviation – Germany based manufacturer of glass and fibre optic and their application in cabin design
42
http://www.aircraftinteriorsinternational.com/magazine_archive.php (Aircraft Interiors International Magazine 2009)
43
Virgin Atlantic press release: “Virgin Atlantic sees 26% rise in business class travel” 28.05.2005

20

44
Image 5: Lighting design for Virgin Atlantic Upper Class Suite launched in 2004

1.3.3 COLOUR PSYCHOLOGY

“Colour affects brain activity and biorhythms, influencing our mood and feelings. Although it
is unclear at the moment as to exactly how it occurs, we know that the pituitary and pineal
glands interact with the electromagnetic energy of colour, and it appears certain that
nonvisual cells near the retina may activate photobiological sensations that supplement
hormone activity in the body.” 45 (Michelin 1995)

Many lighting professionals emphasise the cultural differences in the perception of colour. It
has been suggested that people from a temperate climate prefer warm lighting while the
residents of countries with a warmer climate, favour cold white lighting.46 Scover (B/E
Aerospace) believes that the lighting preferences depend more on the cultural than
geographical differences. Both Schevardo (Diehl Aerospace) and Scover observed that
Europeans and North Americans tend to prefer the warm approach, stimulating candle and
firelight; but in regions like Asia-Pacific the preference lays in sharp illumination and
clarity.47 Zwickel (Schott) agrees that lighting designers and airliners should be aware of the
different perception of colour depending on the passengers’ demography. He perceives it as

44
45
L. Michelin: Light: The Shape of Space: Designing with Space and Light, Canada 1995, p. 89
46
47

21

a challenge in designing cabin lighting for aircraft that will carry passengers with very
different cultural backgrounds.

One of the most popular lighting effects currently applied across airplanes is the simulation
of “blue sky”. The effect is achieved by means of a gradual fade of blue LEDs sometimes even
with a combination of fibre optic, which is ideal for the creation of the “starry nights” effect
on the cabin ceiling. The main advantage of applying blue ceiling lighting is the created
feeling of spaciousness.48 Schevardo agrees that the blue colour generates depth and
distance thereby the cabin appears to be bigger.49

It is well known that colours created by light induces mood sensations, stimulates feelings
and influences behaviour. Highly saturated colours mixed without white, black or grey
create powerful aggressive impressions and give strong moods, where a variation of colour
and intensity can lead to distress.50 Schevardo emphasised that the lighting designer and
manufacturer should ensure that a particular lighting effect would not evoke undesirable
outcomes.51

Mattiello (2004) in a paper about light and colour in architecture expressed the desire for
more research investigating colour and light together. She argues that in the field of lighting,
research mostly aimed to solve aspects of visibility and comfort, while in the field of colour
attempts were made to solve the needs of design, style and fashion (Mattiello 2004). The
combination of those two factors in one research could lead to a better understanding of the
impact of different coloured lighting conditions on people.

48
49
50
http://www.lighting.philips.com
51

22

52
Image 6: Mood lighting in Business Class on board of Emirates Airlines

52
Images taken by Matt Handy, May 2010: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-reports/1083593-singapore-seoul-
emirates-a380-777-300er-asiana-a330-business.html (Handy 2010)

23

2 THE PILOT STUDY

In order to gain more information about people’s preferences in coloured lighting a two
stage pilot study was undertaken. In the first part experienced designers were consulted
about preferences in lighting design, concerning lighting levels, visual performance and
applied coloured light. Their thoughts and comments were very valuable and were
imbedded into the introduction chapter together with manufacturers’ statements.

The introduction chapter as well as the survey benefited from conversations with:

- Katja Winkelmann53 founder and owner of Licht 0154 – Lighting Design Studio in
Hamburg, Germany
- Desmond O’Donovan55 lighting designer for dha design56 - Lighting Design Studio in
London
- David Gadd57 – designer, Customer Experience, Virgin Atlantic,58 London

The second part of the pilot study was designed as a survey. The ideas and thoughts
concerning mood lighting in airplane cabins collected during those conversations had
influenced the design of the pilot study questionnaire. The goal of the survey was to
determine the feelings, emotions and atmosphere created through using colour in lighting
design.

2.1 SURVEY AMONG LIGHTING DESIGNERS

The survey was carried out among 50 Lighting Designers. Chosen Lighting Designers were
approached directly via e-mail or through Linked In59 discussion groups panels (Linked In
groups like: Light Passion, Lighting Design, PLDA, SLL). The test subjects were asked to
accomplish the online survey.60

53
The telephone conversation took place on 27.05.2010.
54
http://www.licht01.de
55
The conversation took place on 11.06.2010 in London.
56
http://www.dhadesigns.com
57
The conversation took place on 08.07.2010 in Gatwick.
58
http://www.virgin-atlantic.com
59
http://www.linkedin.com
60
http://www.surveymonkey.com embedded into http://playlight.pl/mood-lighting-pilot-study

24

The online questionnaire (Appendix 1) could be divided into two sections. The first section
covered general information about the person like gender, educational background, years of
experience and sector of specialization in lighting design.

The second part of the survey contained 15 questions of 3 types: descriptive, multiple-choice
with four predetermined answers and a numeric rating scale with 5pts (ex. Strongly Agree –
Strongly Disagree).

At the end of the survey tested subjects had an opportunity to write their comments or
additional information as well as provide their contact details.

THE Collected data was downloaded from the online survey host and analysed by means of
Excel application. The numerical results of the survey are presented by means of charts and
tables in Appendix 2 and all descriptive answers are summarized in File 01 on the attached CD.

2.2 INTERPRETATION OF THE RESULTS

2.2.1 PARTICIPANTS

The survey was conducted over period of one month.61 During that time 50 lighting
designers completed the questionnaire and shared their general thoughts about the
research subject.

Gender

Male 68.0%

Female 32.0%

Figure 4: Pilot Study: participants split into gender

61
The survey was available online between 01.06.10 - 30.06.10

25

Almost one – third of the respondents were female (32%) and two- thirds (68%) were male
(Figure 4). The split in professional experience in lighting design was very balanced. The
biggest groups were 1-5 years and over 20 years (both achieving 26%), 5-10 and 10-15 - both
counting 18% and 15-20 with 12% (Figure 5). A total of 41 participants replied to the
question related to their sector of specialisation: Domestic Lighting -26,8%, Leisure -22%,
Event Lighting - 19,5%, Retail - 17,1%, Exterior Lighting - 14,6% (Figure 6).

Years of Experience within Lighting Design

20-XX 26.0%

15-20 12.0%

10-15 18.0%

5-10 18.0%

1-5 26.0%

Figure 5: Pilot Study: Split into the years of experience within lighting design

Which sector of lighting design are you specialised in?

Exterior Lighting 14.6%

Event Lighting 19.5%

Leisure 22.0%

Retail 17.1%

Domestic Lighting 26.8%

Figure 6: Pilot Study: Split into different sectors of lighting design

The educational background of the respondents ranged from Master of Architectural
Lighting Design through Mechatronics to Master of Business Administration. The biggest
group with the same academic background was the Master of Science in Light and Lighting

26

with 22%, followed by an Architectural Degree (8%) and Master of Arts in Architectural
Lighting Design (8%) to Bachelor of Arts in Theatre Lighting Design (6%) and Bachelor of Arts
in Lighting Design (6%).

2.2.2 RESPONDENTS GENERAL OPINIONS ABOUT MOOD LIGHTING IN AIRPLANES

Opinions about the different perceptions of lighting in planes and on the ground were
equally divided. 34% of the respondents agreed with this statement, but equally a further
20% strongly agreed, were neutral or disagreed. 38% of the most experienced lighting
designers strongly agreed with the statement. Only 6% of all respondents strongly disagreed
that lighting in a plane is perceived differently to lighting on the ground (Figure 7, Figure 8,
Figure 9).

Almost half of the respondents (49%) were of the opinion that lighting plays a very
important role in the passengers’ satisfaction; although the most experienced lighting
designers (62%) perceived it as important. When divided into gender 75% of female
respondents described it as very important and 45% of male respondent as important. None
of the participants shared the opinion that cabin lighting did not influence passengers’
satisfaction on board (Figure 7, Figure 8,Figure 9).

27

Passengers perceive lighting in a plane How important role does lighting play in
differently to lighting on the ground. passengers’ satisfaction on board?

34.0% 49.0%

36.7%

20.0% 20.0% 20.0%

6.0% 10.2%
4.1%
0.0%

5 4 3 2 1 5 4 3 2 1

strongly agree (5) – strongly disagree (1) very important (5)– not at all (1)

Figure 7: Respondents’ feelings about mood lighting on planes

Passengers perceive lighting in a plane How important role does lighting play in
differently to lighting on the ground. passengers’ satisfaction on board?
Male Female Male Female
75%
38%

48%
25% 25% 25%
21% 36%
18% 19% 18%

6% 6% 13% 12%
6% 6%
3%
0% 0%

5 4 3 2 1 5 4 3 2 1

Strongly Agree (5) – Strongly Disagree (1) Strongly Agree (5) – Strongly Disagree (1)

Figure 8: Gender split: Respondents’ feelings about mood lighting on planes

28

Passengers perceive lighting in the plane differently
to the lighting on the ground?
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
5 4 3 2 1
20-XX 38% 23% 8% 23% 8%
15-20 17% 50% 17% 17% 0%
10-15 0% 44% 33% 22% 0%
5-10 22% 33% 22% 11% 11%
1-5 15% 31% 23% 23% 8%

How important role plays lighting in passengers’ satisfaction on board?
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
5 4 3 2 1
20-XX 15% 62% 23% 0% 0%
15-20 67% 33% 0% 0% 0%
10-15 63% 25% 13% 0% 0%
5-10 78% 22% 0% 0% 0%
1-5 46% 31% 8% 15% 0%

Figure 9: Years of professional experience: Respondents’ feelings about mood lighting on planes

Would you welcome introducing mood lighting in the airplane cabin?
4% 0%

26% YES
ONLY ON LONG FLIGHTS
ONLY ON SHORT FLIGHTS
NOT AT ALL
70%

Figure 10: Mood lighting in airplane cabin

29

70% of the respondents would welcome introducing mood lighting in an airplane cabin. 26%
would do so only on long haul flights and only 4% on short flights (Figure 10).

All of the 50 lighting designers shared their ideas and thoughts about the colour range which
could be used for mood lighting in airplane cabins. The answers varied from very precise like:
2,700K62, 3,000K63, 4,100K64 to more descriptive, giving the colour range and information
about the application. 22% of the surveyed lighting designers would use only white light
during flights, they described it as the following: 2,700K-3,200K65, 2,700K-4,100K66, 2,700K-
6,000K67, warm white 2,500K or below68, white - warm to cool69, neutral white to very warm
light70. 50% of experienced lighting designers chose would recommend white lights. Apart
from white, blue was also mentioned by 22% of the survey’s participants, varying from light
blue for sunrise and waking people up to deep blue for night time flights. 10% of the survey’s
participants mentioned red and another 8% would use pastel and turquoise colours. Other
relevant factors affecting the choice of the applied mood lighting are presented as follows:

 “a mix of warm to cool light depending on the length of the flight and the time of the
day”71
 “depends on the time of the year and day, warmer colours in the winter and slightly
cooler in the summer”72
 “depends on the brand and the duration and time of the flight”73

62
1 responder: male with 1-5 years of professional experience
63
2 responders: both male with over 20 years of professional experience
64
1 responder: male with over 20 years of professional experience
65
66
67
1 responder: female with over 20 years of professional experience
68
69
70
1 responder: male with 15- 20 years of professional experience
71
72
1 responder: female with 15-20 years of professional experience
73
1 responder: male with 10- 15 years of professional experience

30

2.2.3 MAIN ACTIVITIES

MEAL
A total of 68% of respondents chose white lighting for the Meal. 40% of the surveyed lighting
designers would use only warm white lighting, 10% would apply cold white lighting and
some of them would vary “from cool white (4,500K) in the morning for breakfast, through to
warm white (2,700K) in the evening for dinner”.74 The colour range of red, orange, and
amber were chosen by 12% of the lighting designers and described by some of them as
colours that stimulate hunger. A very important criteria mentioned by 14% of respondents
was very good colour rendering (CRI above 85).

RELAX
Most of the respondents strongly agreed (46,9%) or agreed (40,8%) that colour lighting
could help people to relax during a flight. The split in terms of gender also confirms this
statement

In general, the surveyed lighting designers shared the opinion that passengers would
welcome colour-change lighting for relaxation. 36,7% of respondents strongly agreed and
24,5% agreed with this statement. Analysing the gender split among the respondents, it can
be noticed that the female lighting designers were more convinced of the ascertainment
than the male respondents were. 44% of the female designers strongly agreed and agreed
but only 33% and 15% of the male designers strongly agreed and agreed with the statement

The most commonly listed colours for creating a relaxing atmosphere were:

Blue (40%) – was described as cool and calming and associated with the sky. The colour was
mentioned in different variations from light blue to deep blue

Warm White (22%) - all respondents described it as a warm white between 2500-3000K.

Red, orange, magenta, purple – were mentioned by a number of lighting designers as being
always associated with creating a warm and cosy atmosphere.

74

31

Respondents often suggested that if coloured lighting is used it should be very soft or
applied only as accent lighting. According to the respondents, general lighting should create
a pleasant, comfortable atmosphere for relaxing and cold white individually controlled task
lighting should be used for reading or working.

Colour lighting can help people to RELAX Passengers would welcome colour changing
during a flight. for the RELAX during a flight.
46.9%
36.7%
40.8%

24.5%

18.4%

10.2% 10.2%
10.2%

2.0%
0.0%

5 4 3 2 1 5 4 3 2 1

Strongly Agree (5) – Strongly Disagree (1) Strongly Agree (5)– Strongly Disagree (1)

Figure 11: Respondents’ feelings about mood lighting for the RELAX during a flight

Colour lighting can help people to RELAX Passengers would welcome colour changing
during a flight. for the RELAX during a flight.

Male Female Male Female
50%
45% 44% 44%
42%
38%
33%
27%

15% 15%
12% 13%
9%
6% 6%
0% 0% 0% 0% 0%

5 4 3 2 1 5 4 3 2 1
Strongly Agree (5)– Strongly Disagree (1) Strongly Agree (5)– Strongly Disagree (1)

Figure 12: Gender split: Respondents’ feelings about mood lighting for the RELAX during a flight

32

DUTY FREE

The majority of respondents confirmed that specific lighting could improve sales in the Duty
Free Shop on board an airplane (Figure 13). 46 % of the most experienced designers agreed
with this statement and half of the respondents with 15 to 20 years of experience within the
lighting profession strongly agreed that specific lighting would increase duty free sales
(Figure 14).

The opposite proportion can be noticed by the statement that colour changing lighting
would improve the sales of the duty free items (Figure 13). 35 % of all respondents could not
see a relationship between colour changing and an increase in duty free sales. Half of the
professionals with 15 to 20 years of experience disagreed with this viewpoint and 33% of the
most experienced designers strongly disagreed with it (Figure 15).

Specific lighting could improve sales Colour changing lighting would improve sales
in the DUTY FREE SHOP. in the DUTY FREE SHOP.

31.3% 35.4%
27.1%
25.0%

22.9% 22.9%

12.5% 14.6%

4.2% 4.2%

5 4 3 2 1 5 4 3 2 1

Strongly Agree (5) – Strongly Disagree ( 1) Strongly Agree (5) – Strongly Disagree (1)

Figure 13: Respondents’ opinions about lighting during the DUTY FREE SHOP during a flight

33

Specific lighting could improve sale in the DUTY FREE SHOP
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
5 4 3 2 1
20-XX 23% 46% 15% 0% 15%
15-20 50% 17% 33% 0% 0%
10-15 11% 22% 44% 11% 11%
5-10 38% 25% 13% 13% 13%
1-5 17% 33% 33% 0% 17%

Figure 14: Years of professional experience: Respondents’ opinions about specific lighting during the DUTY
FREE SHOP

Colour changing lighting would improve sale in the DUTY FREE SHOP
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
5 4 3 2 1
20-XX 8% 8% 25% 25% 33%
15-20 0% 0% 33% 50% 17%
10-15 11% 11% 56% 11% 11%
5-10 0% 22% 33% 11% 33%
1-5 0% 25% 33% 25% 17%

Figure 15: Years of professional experience: Respondents’ opinions about colour changing lighting during the
DUTY FREE SHOP

Cold white light (4,000K-6,500K) was chosen by 20% of respondents as the most preferred
scenario for duty free shopping. 10% of the lighting designers also mentioned good colour
rendering as an important criteria in creating good lighting for sale purposes.

8% of the lighting designers would apply yellow, amber or orange colours to create a more
interesting atmosphere. One respondent even mentioned purple lighting to “add some

34

mystery”75 to the sales of duty free items. Only 4% of the respondents would consider
“dynamic retail lighting”76 or gentle colour changes.

14% of the survey’s participants would not emphasize the selling of duty free items with a
different colour. Selling duty free items was described as “disturbing”77, an “intrusion”78 or
“not an event that the many passengers participate in”79 and therefore no particular lighting
conditions were desired.

ENTRY AND EXIT

In the comparison of Entry and Exit scenes, 43% of respondents would use a more
interesting lighting scene at the beginning of the flight, only 8,3% of the designers would use
more interesting lighting conditions for the Exit. 35,4% of respondents would differentiate
lighting conditions for the Entry and Exit, and 27,1% of the surveyed designers would use
the same lighting scene (Figure 16).

Would you use the same lighting scene for ENTRY and EXIT?

MORE INTERESTING FOR EXIT 8.3%

MORE INTERESTING FOR ENTRY 43.8%

NO 35.4%

YES 27.1%

Figure 16: Respondents’ opinions about different lighting scenes for ENTRY and EXIT

COLOUR CHANGING

The half of the surveyed participants would not recommend a colour changing scene during
the flight in general. 29,2% of the lighting designers would introduce a colour changing scene

75
1 responder: female with 1-5 years of professional experience, specialized in Lighting for Leisure
76
1 responder: male with 10-15 years of professional experience, specialized in Lighting for Leisure
77
1 responder: female with 1-5 years of professional experience, specialized in Domestic Lighting
78
1 responder: male with more than 20 years of professional experience
79
1 responder: male with 10-15 years of professional experience, specialized in Retail Lighting

35

for both entry and exit activities and 22,9% would use colour changing only at the beginning
of a flight (Figure 17). In general, more female designers would apply colour changing
lighting throughout the flight (41% for both of the scenes), but more than half of the male
respondents (56%) would not welcome colour changing scenes at all (Figure 18). Only 4,2%
would recommend colour change lighting as an Exit scenario. This option was chosen only
by the most experienced lighting designers.80

Would you recommend to have a colour changing lighting for:

NOT AT ALL 50.0%

BOTH 29.2%

EXIT 4.2%

ENTRY 22.9%

Figure 17: Respondents’ opinions about colour changing lighting for ENTRY and EXIT

Would you recommend to have a colour changing lighting for:

Female Male

29%
NOT AT ALL
56%

41%
BOTH
21%

6%
EXIT
3%

24%
ENTRY
21%

Figure 18: Gender split: Respondents’ opinions about colour changing lighting for ENTRY and EXIT

80
Detailed analysis of the results can be found in File 01 on the attached CD

36

More than half of the surveyed lighting designers (56%) were of the opinion that colour
changing lighting would be the most suitable for relaxation on board (Figure 19). This view
was shared by 71% of female and 43% of male respondents. The rest of the female lighting
designers (29%) would welcome colour changing lighting during the purchasing of duty free
items (Figure 20). Only 6,3% of all respondents would apply a colour changing lighting scene
during mealtimes, among them are only male designers with 1 to 15 years experience.81
Still 31% of the male respondents would not introduce mood lighting in the cabin at all.

In your opinion colour changing lighting would be the most suitable for:

NOT AT ALL 22.9%

DUTY FREE 22.9%

RELAX 56.3%

MEAL 6.3%

Figure 19: Respondents’ opinions about colour changing lighting for all activities

In your opinion colour changing lighting would be the most suitable for:

Female Male

0%
NOT AT ALL
31%

29%
DUTY FREE
17%

71%
RELAX
43%

0%
MEAL
9%

Figure 20: Gender split: Respondents’ opinions about colour changing lighting for all activities

81
Detailed analysis of the results can be found in File 01 on the attached CD

37

2.3 GENERAL COMMENTS AND CONCLUSIONS

Generally the participants of the survey have a positive attitude towards the research
subject, although some individuals were very critical about applying mood lighting on an
airplane. “I personally can't see any relevance for colour changing on board a plane. I think
airlines would be better spending their time and money improving the comfort of their
standard class seats!”82

Many respondents were aware of the opportunities that mood lighting could give in
reducing the jet lag effect on long flights across time zones. The experienced lighting
designers would recommend changing only the light intensity and colour temperature of the
white light. Other respondents emphasized that if coloured lighting is applied the colours
should be faded and not too saturated. The transition between the scenes should be very
slow and smooth, so that it is hardly noticed by the passengers.

Some of the lighting designers remarked that the lighting concept should be linked to the
concept of space rather than to a function. “The air cabins have specific space characteristics
that make them interesting but not the tasks which can happen in any environment.”83 In
addition, the time of the flight was pointed out as an important factor. The lighting concept
should differentiate between day-time and night-time flights and the colour of the light
should relate to the amount of daylight available in the airplane cabin.

Only one respondent84 emphasized that the lighting design should be seen as a part of the
airlines brand message. The other respondent comparing the lighting concepts in Virgin
Atlantic and Emirates expressed the desire for more variations in the design: “the design is
exactly the same in almost all aircraft it would be more interesting if lighting effects varied
between different aeroplanes, you would feel more interested if some planes had patterned
or broken light on the ceiling instead of uniform flat light”.85

82
1 responder: male with 1-5 years of professional experience, specialised in Domestic Lighting
83
1 responder: female with 5-10 years of professional experience
84
1 responder: male with 10-15 years of professional experience, specialised in Retail
85
1 responder: male with more than 20 years of professional experience, specialised in Lighting for Leisure

38

Some of the young designers would welcome more individual control over the lighting in
order to create a personal atmosphere. Other designer mentioned linking lighting and music
as an interesting option supporting relaxation.86

The results of the survey were analysed and used as a basis to determine the tested lighting
scenes. The main experiment benefited from the comments as well as criticisms about the
research topic.

86
1 responder: female with 1-5 years of professional experience, specialised in Domestic Lighting

39

3 RESEARCH PROBLEM

The specific conditions of the aircraft industry make the illumination of a cabin a special
challenge. The primary goal is the security and comfort of passengers. Apart from that, more
technical parameters like: performance, energy consumption and weight have to be
considered constantly.

Being aware of the technical advantages of applying the very latest technology for cabin
lighting systems the question arises, how much is the comfort and wellbeing of passengers
going to profit from it? Is introducing mood lighting a good option and how much would
passengers appreciate it?

The current trend in aircraft cabin lighting is focused on creating a unique and unforgettable
atmosphere on board by means of the latest LED technologies. The advantages of LEDs are
used by airlines to create corporate identity coloured lighting throughout the cabin. Lighting
designers are getting involved in developing lighting concepts for this specific environment.

Not many publications are available to date regarding passenger responses to coloured
lighting on aboard a plane. More research in the field should help lighting designers choose
the right colours and lighting levels and be aware of the possible effects on passengers.

The main aim of the work presented in this report was to gain a better understanding of the
effects of coloured lighting on people on board a passenger plane.

RESEARCH QUESTION:

What is the impact of mood lighting on passengers' satisfaction on board an aircraft?

40

4 METHODOLOGY - THE EXPERIMENT

The research experiment was undertaken in cooperation with Diehl Aerospace research
centre in Nuremberg, Germany. Diehl’s facilities allowed the field research to be carried out
in very similar conditions to that of a real aircraft cabin. The process of the flight was
simulated by preset activities, like a meal, relax, work, and duty free sales.

The goal of the experiment was to analyse the effect of predefined mood lighting conditions
on the visual comfort, task performance and mood of passengers. All possible variables that
may affect the measurements, except colour and light intensity, were kept constant during
the experiment. This was necessary to ensure that the changes recorded where due to the
effect of colour and lighting conditions only.

The main experiment was carried out after the results and conclusions from the pilot study
were collected and analysed.

4.1 ROOM AND EQUIPMENT

The experiment was conducted in the Diehl‘s Airplane Cabin Mock Up. The room was
neutrally coloured and furnished with a size of approximately 2.8 m wide by 5m in length
and 2.5m in height in the centre and 1.5m in height on the sidewalls. The full scale Mock
Up’s lining was typical for an Airbus aircraft cabin of light grey colour. No daylight was
accessible or simulated in the Mock up, so any influence from daylight was not considered
during the experiment.

For the purpose of the experiment the room was equipped with 10 standard office
chairs.The chairs were allocated in five rows of two seats; the split between the window (A)
and aisle (C) places was equal. The legroom between the chairs was 350mm. The room
layout is presented in Image 7(page 42). The test subjects entered the room from the back
and were seated facing a partition door to another room.

41

Image 7: Experimental room with allocation of the chairs

The Cabin Mock Up was equipped with general lighting and no reading lights were available.
The general lighting consisted of two ceiling lights (Ceiling In and Ceiling Out) and Side Wall
lights. Except for the tested mood lighting, no additional lights were used in the room during
the experiment. The lighting was mounted in the Mock Up as indicated in Image 2.

The Mock Up was built and equipped with LED lighting in 2005. In 2008 ceiling lights were
changed and the new LEDs from the same bin were used. It was noticeable that there was a
difference in the light distribution and lighting colour between the side wall lights (2005) and
ceiling lights (2008).

The LED lighting consisted of RGB W lights with a 2.5-inch resolution (2 R + 2G + 2B + 2W).
The software used for the lighting control in the Mock up was designed by Diehl Aerospace –
Lightdaemon V 1.5.0 and was able to address each module (12.5-inch). The lighting scenes
were preset the day before the experiment. The software was operated by a Diehl employee
who coded the lighting parameters for each scene.

42

Image 8: Sketch of the Experimental Mock up with the indicated position of the light

During the presetting of the lighting scenes the light intensity and the colour parameters
(x,y) were measured and an illuminance meter was placed on the floor in the middle of the
aisle.

The measurements of the proposed lighting scenes were performed by using the following
equipment:

 Illuminance meter: Konica Minolta T-10 87
 luminance meter: Minolta LS-10088
 colour measurement by spectrometer - AvaSpec- 12889

87
http://www.konicaminolta.com
88
http://www.konicaminolta.com
89
http://www.avantes.com

43

4.2 TEST SUBJECTS

The experiment participants consisted of a range of 19 people comprised of 2 females and
17 males. The participants ware mostly in the age group 15-40 with only one participant
above 40 years old.

The participants were recruited with the help of the local university90 and were
undergraduate students (Course: Precision Engineering/Mechatronics). The day of the
experiment was organised as a study excursion to the Diehl Aerospace facilities. The
students were accompanied by their professor. Due to the limited space in the Mock up, the
participants were divided into two groups. Each group attended a Diehl company
presentation and took part in the experiment. The agenda of the day is presented in
Appendix 3. The subjects were paid for their participation in the experiment.

It was preferred to invite a test person with good colour vision which was tested91 before
the experiment by means of one plate of the Ishihara Colour Test92 (Ishihara 1917).

4.3 EXPERIMENTAL SET UP

The lighting scenes were chosen by the author of the report based on the results of the pilot
study and the personal preferences. Tested lighting colours were chosen for the daytime
flight. The main criteria for the selected lighting conditions were the type of activity which
was related to each scene. The entrance scene was designed to be comparable with day-
light. Warm colours were chosen for the meal scenes and ambient lighting for a relaxing /
working environment. Duty free shopping scenes were designed to be bright and mostly
white only with light colour accents. A more colorful and dynamic scene was used for the
exit. Before the lighting conditions in the mock up were chosen, schematic sketches
( Image 9, page 45) were designed to visualize the desired lighting scenes.

90
Georg Simon Ohm University of Applied Sciences (OHM) Nuremberg, Germany, Contact Person: Prof. Hans Poisel
91
Question 5, Page1, Initial Questionnaire. See Appendix 6
92
The Ishihara Colour Test is a test for red-green colour deficiencies.

44

Image 9: Initial sketches of proposed lighting scenes

45

Table 1: The initial summary of the lighting scenes

46

The day before the experiment, the lighting scenes were set up and coded using the
Lightdaemon V 1.5.0 software. The colours were created through additive colour mixing of
primary colours (Red, Green, Blue) and White and were described on the scale 0-100% for
each of those four colours. The initial summary of the set up lighting scenes is presented in
Table 1, page46.

Special care was taken to assure that the previous coloured scene did not affect the
perception of the following coloured scene. In order to achieve this balance, white scenes
and breaks were introduced. The Lighting Scenes LS03, LS06 and LS09 as well as the Breaks
B01 and B02 were identical – white93 (ca 4,000K) side walls and ceiling lights.

Two lighting scenes (LS07, LS11) with dynamic colour change were proposed.

LS07 can be described as a simulation of blue sky with clouds. The side wall light was white
and the ceiling light was mostly blue with a subtle effect of “white cloud” slowly passing by.
The scene consisted of 22 waypoints and the properties were measured only in one
waypoint (0 out of 22).

“white cloud” – 5 units (12,5 inch each) were addressed and the slow and gradual transition
from blue to 30% white colour was achieved (Figure 21)

blue (1) 10% white (2) 20% white (3) 30% white (4) 20% white (5) 10% white blue
Figure 21: Colour transition in LS07

LS11 was designed as a colourful “rain bow“ effect. The scene consisted of 100 waypoints
and 5 main colours were introduced (turquoise, orange, pink, purple and violet). In order to
desaturate the colours 30% white was added. The colour changing rate was much higher
than in LS07. The properties of this lighting scene were measured for three different
waypoints (25, 50, 75 out of 100) and are described as LS11a (25/100), b (50/100) and c
(75/100).

93
The numerical colour describtions can be found in Chapter 5.2 and Appendix 4

47

Image 10: Experimental room with indicated illuminance and luminance measuring points

In order to numerically describe the scenes, illuminance and luminance was tested for each
lighting condition. Two points on the table were chosen to establish the illuminance 94 levels
as well as two points on the front wall were chosen to perform the luminance95
measurements. The measuring points are indicated on Image 10. The luminance
measurements were taken from the eye level of the sitting person situated on the chair
behind the table. The luminance and illuminance values of the chosen exposure points are
presented in Table 2 (page 49).

The spectral distribution for each lighting scene was measured by means of a fiber optic
spectrometer 96 and the results are presented in Chapter 5.2 and Appendix 5.

94
Illuminance meter: Konica Minolta T-10
95
luminance meter: Minolta LS-100
96
colour measurement by spectrometer AvaSpec-128

48

Lighting Scene Illuminance (lx) Luminance (cd/m2)

Point 1 Point 2 Point 1 Point 2
1 Scene 01 284 596 54 62
2 Scene 02 187 108 44 28
3 Scene 03 223 506 43 52
4 Scene 04 170 655 31 56
5 Break 01 222 498 43 51
6 Scene 05 217 547 40 54
7 Scene 06 221 505 43 50
8 Scene 07 - waypoint 0 of 22 154 444 28 31
9 Break 02 221 498 43 52
10 Scene 08 293 308 57 47
11 Scene 09 225 491 42 51
12 Scene 10 187 290 37 36
13 Scene 11a - waypoint 25 of 100 140 312 27 31
14 Scene 11b - waypoint 50 of 100 203 491 41 49
15 Scene 11c - waypoint 75 of 100 166 376 33 39
Table 2: The summary of the illumiance and luminance levels for each lighting scenes

4.4 THE QUESTIONNAIRE

The original questionnaire used during the experiment was written in German (Appendix 6)
and was translated into English for this paper (Appendix 7).

The experimental questionnaire was divided into 3 parts: Initial Questionnaire (Page 1), Main
Questionnaire (Page 2-13) and Final Questionnaire (Page 14) (Appendix 6, 7).

By means of the Initial Questionnaire the general data about participants was collected, like:
age, gender, mood, colour preferences and a simplified colour deficiency test. The
participants were asked to fill in this section before entering the experimental room.

The Main Questionnaire was filled in after each lighting scene. A Questionnaire for each
lighting scene was limited to one page with a maximum of 7 questions. Semantic differential

49

MSc LL Katja Leszczynska 2010

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