RIT Color Science Seminar
Also at the RIT Color Science Seminar, Rafael Huertas, from the University of Granada, presented new research on inclusivity in lighting science.
Color Rendering Indexes for Color Blind Observers
The talk, “Color Rendering Indexes for Color Blind Observers”, addressed the limitations of traditional color rendering metrics like CRI (Ra) and CQS (Qa), which are currently defined only for observers with normal color vision.
Rafael introduced a methodology to adapt these metrics for people with color vision deficiencies (CVD) — a condition affecting nearly 8% of men in the Caucasian population. Using CVD simulation models and a large database of commercial and standard illuminants, the research explores how Ra and Qa values change across CVD types and severities.
Key findings show that:
- CVD alters the perceived fidelity of light sources.
- In many cases, protanopes obtain higher apparent rendering scores than normal observers.
- CQS is more stable than CRI across CVD conditions, especially for LED lamps.
This work opens the door to inclusive lighting design, proposing that manufacturers consider including rendering indexes tailored to typical forms of color vision deficiency.
If you want to know more about it, contact us.
