Development and Use of a Quantitative Method for Specification of Interior Illumination Levels on the Basis of Performance Data

An eight-year program of research is reported here which has led to the development of a general method by which illumination levels may be determined for various practical tasks, based upon visual performance criteria. The present report describes the method in its most general form, indicating the procedures recommended for current use. It goes beyond all earlier reports, however, by describing in addition what may well be the ultimate procedures for using the method, and by indicating the kids of research needed to develop these procedures.

The description of the general features of the method will reveal that we have much to learn concerning the details of visual performance. It should be emphasized, however, that the new studies reported here, together with the many important studies of the past, provide us with sufficient insight into the problem so that it is both wise and necessary for available performance data to be used now for the specification of lighting levels for various visual tasks.