Principles of Vision & Colour: Ir Dr. Sam C. M. Hui
Principles of Vision & Colour: Ir Dr. Sam C. M. Hui
Principles of Vision & Colour: Ir Dr. Sam C. M. Hui
http://ibse.hk/IBTM6010J/
Sep 2021
Contents
• Human vision
• Design considerations
• Colour theory
• Colour vision
Human vision
• Principle of VISION
• Light energy retina (photo-chemical) optic
nerve (electrical signal) brain (sight centre)
• Initial information: brightness + colour
• Stereoscopic effect of two eyes (size & position)
• The brain selects items in the field of view
• The sense of vision depends on interpretations
from previous experience
Human vision
• Characteristics/Regimes of VISION
• Scotopic vision 暗視 - in the dark by the rods
• Luminance 10-6 to 10-2 cd/m2 (dark adapted, by rods)
• Low ambient light; only see in shades of grey
• Mesopic vision 暮視 - between 10-2 and 10 cd/m2
• Sense of brightness & colour; foval detection
• Photopic vision 適光 - above 10-2 cd/m2
• By cone mechanism (light adapted); in colour
• High ambient light; enables details to be seen
Ranges of scotopic, mesopic and photopic visions
(Source: Advanced Lighting Guidelines 2001 and www.ecse.rpi.edu)
• Purpose of vision
• The primary goal of any lighting system is to
provide a proper stimulus for the human visual
system
• Processing of visual information
• 1. Depth perception
• 2. Motion detection
• 3. Brightness perception
• 4. Colour deficiencies in the visual system
Human vision
• 1. Depth perception
• Pictorial cues
• Relative image size due to distance or scale of known
objects
• Interposition or layering
• Shadowing, perspective, or surface texture
• Motion parallax – relative movement between any two
objects at different distances
• Binocular cues
• Eye convergence – “cross-eyedness”
• Binocular disparity or parallax – “stereo” vision
Human vision
• 2. Motion detection
• Stroboscopic integration – perceived motion from stills
• 3. Brightness perception*
• Vision in darkness & lightness
• Luminance is measurable quantity of light reflected from
objects
• Brightness is the perceived difference in light reflected
from objects
• Simultaneous contrast – the perceived difference in
brightness of two objects of the same luminance when
viewed against different backgrounds
(* See also http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/vision/bright.html)
Visual contrast – lack of contrast can reduce visibility
• Measuring vision
• Visual acuity – measure of the smallest detail a person’s
visual system can resolve
• Contrast sensitivity – the ability to detect the presence of
luminance differences
• Contrast detection – the contrast at which an object is just
visible
Methods for measuring vision
Relationship between visual acuity and background luminance
(Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK11509/figure/ch25kallspatial.F18/)
Design considerations
(Source: https://www.hidealite.com/en/knowledge/concept/ugr)
Design considerations
• Effects of aging
• Increased lens opacity – light scattering within the eye
flare
• Crystalline lens yellowing – reduced blue vision
• Presbyopia – loss of lens elasticity and near vision
• Reduced pupil size – less light reaching retina – more light
required
• Increased visual processing and adaptation time – reduced
performance
• Decreased acuity and contrast sensitivity – due to
decreased nerve function
Requirement of light in relation to human age
(Source: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/268326391_Visibility_Estimation_of_Textile_Warning_Materials_in_the_Pedestrian-
Vehicle_Arrangement_n_Introduction/)
Colour theory
(Source: https://www.erco.com/en/guide/basics/physiology-of-the-eye-2225/)
Colour theory
• Photopic curve
• Used to determine the nos. of lumens present in a light
source, given the spectral power distribution for a lamp
• Trade-off between colour rendering & efficacy
• Mesopic vision
• Rods & cones are nearly equal in sensitivity
• Both photopic & scotopic systems contribute to response
to object colour of different luminance
• Luminance level is low so that rods & cones function at
similar sensitivities, e.g. twilight
Spectral sensitivity of rods and cones
• Hue
• General description of the perceived colour of an object
• Single colour name or combination of two adjacent colour
names (red, yellow, green, blue)
• Value
• Indicates the relative lightness or darkness of a colour – e.g.
sky blue and navy blue
• Value is related to gray scale – from black to white
• The value of a particular colour is the value of the gray that
is of the same relative lightness
Colour theory
• Chroma
• Indicates how saturated a colour appears
• Two colours may be of the same hue and value, but one
more rich in hue – e.g. a gray blue and a rich blue
• Metameric match
• A condition where a different source/reflectance producing
the same relative signal from the three types of cones will
be perceived as being equal in colour
• (Note that it is possible that two materials which appear to
match under one illuminant will not match under a second)
Hue, Value and Chrome in the Munsell colour system
(Source: http://www.huevaluechroma.com/011.php)
Colour theory
• Specification of colours*
• Munsell colour system
• Hue scale – 5 principal hues (red, yellow, green, blue,
and purple)
• Value scale – 10 equal visual steps from black to white
• Chrome scale – 6-14 equal steps from no colour (white,
gray, or black) to the strongest chroma for that level
• Colour discrimination functions
• Hue discrimination (change in wavelength)
• Saturation discrimination (degree of colour paleness)
(* See also http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/vision/colsys.html)
Munsell colour system
Colour vision
(Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK11538/)
Colour vision
[Source: www.benyalighting.com]
Colour temperature
and appearance
(Source: https://www.manufacturer.lighting/info/245/)
Colour vision
(Source: https://www.paintingframesplus.com/painting-frames-plus-website-colors.php)
Colour vision
(Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK11538/)
Colour vision
(Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK11538/)
Further Reading
• Principles of Vision
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK11513/
• Color vision - Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Color_vision
• Human Vision and Color Perception
https://www.olympus-
lifescience.com/en/microscope-
resource/primer/lightandcolor/humanvisionintro/