Lighting Lab

We have combined a wide range of light sources to create lights with unique spectral power distributions (SPDs). These sources include phosphor coated and single colour light-emitting diodes (LEDs), lasers and conventional lamps. To operate and adjust the light sources, the lab provides:

• a variety of bandpass filters and remote phosphors
• numerous electrical devices, including power supplies and a pulse generator. 

When creating custom SPDs, the outputs of light sources can be combined in integrating spheres. Integrating spheres have highly reflective interiors that cause light to reflect repeatedly, and are most commonly used for photometric measurements. We have customised the spheres in the lab to provide thorough spectral mixing of disparate light sources, including multiple input ports to accommodate many input sources.

The lab has a wide range of tools for manipulating the spatial distribution of light, including flexible liquid light guides, used to transmit light from integrating spheres to any location our researchers choose. Integrating spheres and other equipment can be mounted on our customised theatre rigging system, which allows the height and width of experimental spaces to be adjusted. This system can accommodate temporary wall panels to create simulated interior environments or isolated psychophysical testing spaces. Embedded cabling allows a separate lab computer to remotely control all mounted electronics. Traditional optical elements include:

• achromatic lenses
• tuneable lenses
• engineered diffusers.

These are used to manipulate the spatial characteristics of the emitted light.

Optomechanical components include:

• optical breadboard
• lens holders and clamps
• articulating mounting systems.

These allow the above elements to be placed virtually anywhere within the lab. 

Our lab equipment enables us to specify modes of lighting control. A range of sensors are available, including those that aren’t typically used in lighting applications. Equipment also includes keyboards, button boxes and an eye tracker, to gather data from human observers. We use photometric instruments to measure light. The lab includes:

• a spectroradiometer
• a spectrophotometer
• an incident colorimeter
• a high dynamic range luminance camera
• a photometer
• multiple illuminance meters and luminance meters.