Modern cities are overcrowded. When space is divided, or many spaces deep under buildings or underground are converted into event spaces, users have to face a windowless environment. In addition to providing psychological comfort, windows are a critical architectural element that introduces natural light to maintain the balance of physiological functions. If people are forced to remain in fixed-lighting environments such as factories, offices, and hospitals for extended long periods, their secretion of melatonin might be affected. Problems such as depression and sleep disorders tend to arise when the human body does not receive sufficient light. “Circadian lighting” is a re-evolution from the concept of “human factors in lighting,” and employs indoor lighting technologies that imitate the rhythm of natural light to maintain stability in people’s endocrine system and biological clock. Modern urbanites work long hours and have a stressful lifestyle. Because these workers remain indoors for long periods and have insufficient exposure to sunlight, they are in urgent need of adequate and smart artificial lighting design to create a comfortable, healthy, and safe environment for activities. TDIS has developed a smart virtual window in collaboration with Arex lighting company and Inno Knight technology company. Through a detector and a smart system, the virtual window can present the rhythmic changes of outdoor natural light in real time. The degree of realism of the virtual window is further enhanced through the tree shadow design and lighting arrangement on its surface. The modular design enables the virtual window to generate combinations and matches according to the wall conditions and usage scenarios.
