MediluX intelligent dynamic light control systems
MediluX intelligent dynamic light control systems offers visual, psychological, and biological comfort improvements for people working in a 24/7 environment.
The objective of intelligent dynamic light in a 24/7 work environment is to:
- Improve alertness and safety
- Improve concentration
- Improve productivity
- Improve energy levels
- Reduce sleeping problems
- Reduce difficulties while working in shifts
- Reduce (extreme) tiredness during and after work
- Extend the employment duration of shift workers
MediluX uses special equipment and software to set up a dynamic light model for a 24/7 work environment.
During each individual shift, MediluX controls the density as well as the color of the light in the work environment.
Summary of the key results based on scientific investigation:
- 31% risk reduction of accidents (on average!)
- 40% reduction of extreme tiredness during night shifts
- 23% reduction of headaches and eye problems of the shift workers
Daylight, the kind of light in which we feel most at ease, is never constant. Throughout the day, its level and color temperature continually fluctuate, which influences our emotions, moods, perceptive faculties and performance.
With MediluX intelligent dynamic light, the dynamic character of daylight with its seamless changes in brightness and warmth can be brought indoors. At night, rhythms are adjusted to keep personnel alert at all times.
In a control room environment, dynamic light fixtures are controlled together to create a dynamic lighting atmosphere.
The level and color of the light automatically vary over time to simulate daylight characteristics, which ensures that employees feel more energetic and their feeling of wellbeing is improved.
The ‘natural’ lighting rhythm created in this way helps employees to keep up their performance levels, stimulate alertness and concentration, and counteract dips, which can be the result of working at night.
Scientific research:
Dynamic lighting in a fast forward rotating shift work environment
M.C.M. Gordijn¹, C. Rense², R. Wiemer³, D.G.M. Beersma¹
¹ Department of Chronobiology, Center for Life Sciences, University of Groningen, The Netherlands;
² MediluX B.V., The Netherlands;
³ Shell International B.V. Corporate Affairs Health, The Netherlands.
Objectives:
Light, especially the short wavelengths of the spectrum, elicits robust non-image forming effects on human physiology and behavior, and improves alertness and performance, irrespective of the time of the day.
It seems a logical step to make use of this knowledge and to optimize artificial lighting at the workplace. However, there is no simple solution for light exposure in a shift work environment.
On the one hand, if you increase light intensities, especially in the short wavelengths range (blue light), alertness and performance will be improved and work related risks will be reduced.
However, on the other hand, light at particular times of the night will induce phase shifts of the biological clock and suppression of the pineal hormone melatonin. Both factors may lead to detrimental health effects on the long term.
Creating the most optimal scheme of light intensity and color in a shift work environment, requires knowledge of chronobiological principles and a flexible light system.
We recently evaluated two types of lighting schedules with the following patterns:
- A pattern with higher intensities and a high number of short wavelengths during the day.
- A pattern with lower intensities and a lower number of short wavelengths during the evening and night in two control rooms.
In both rooms, 5 groups of people have worked around the 24h clock in a fast forward rotating shift work paradigm. Data show that both an increase and decrease in sleepiness can be obtained by changing the spectral characteristics of light at the workplace.
Higher levels of alertness have been observed in both control rooms: always during the late shift and regularly during the night shift and the early shift as a result of our latest lighting scheme.
Contact
MediluX BV
The Netherlands
Zadelmakerstraat 28
1991 JE Velserbroek
T: +31 (0) 23 5396179
F: +31 (0) 23 5387693
