AAU Student Projects - visit Aalborg University's student projects portal
A master's thesis from Aalborg University
Book cover


Ambient Communication with Light for The Airport Terminal Wayfinding

Authors

;

Term

4. Term

Education

Publication year

2019

Submitted on

Pages

123

Abstract

Denne afhandling undersøger, hvordan belysning kan bruges mere intuitivt til at hjælpe passagerer med at finde vej i lufthavnsterminaler. En gennemgang af litteratur og cases peger på to hovedudfordringer: visuel støj (for mange konkurrerende visuelle indtryk) og angst/stress forbundet med lufthavne, som begge gør orienteringen vanskeligere. For at tackle dette trækker projektet på principperne om omgivelseskommunikation (ambient communication), naturcentreret design og en futuristisk tilgang, hvor mere intuitive processer og en positiv oplevelse forventes at mindske angst. Afhandlingen foreslår en firetrinsmetode til at designe og teste belysningskoncepter: stedanalyse, en eksperimentel metode til at vurdere og måle visuel støj, designudvikling og test. Det konkrete forslag er et generativt, dynamisk lysmønster med adresserbare parametre (fx farve), som blev evalueret via online spørgeskemaer og i et VR-miljø (virtuel virkelighed). Resultaterne viser, at visse parametre som farve kan formidle intuitive informationer, mens VR-testene ikke gav entydige resultater. Processen pegede dog på klare forbedringer af metoden, som blev vurderet som et nyttigt værktøj med potentiale til at kunne anvendes i andre dele af lysdesign.

This thesis examines how lighting can intuitively guide passengers through airport terminals. A review of literature and case studies highlights two main challenges: visual noise (too many competing visual stimuli) and airport-related anxiety, both of which make wayfinding harder. To address these, the work draws on ambient communication, nature-centric design, and a forward-looking airport approach in which intuitive passenger processing and positive experiences are expected to ease anxiety. The thesis proposes a four-step method for designing and testing lighting concepts: site analysis, an experimental procedure to assess and measure visual noise, design development, and testing. The concept developed is a generative, dynamic lighting pattern with addressable parameters (such as color), evaluated through online questionnaires and in a virtual reality (VR) environment. Findings indicate that some parameters, like color, can convey intuitive cues, while the VR tests were inconclusive. Overall, the process revealed clear opportunities to improve the method, which was judged a useful tool with potential applicability to other areas of lighting design.

[This abstract was generated with the help of AI]