Recently, a German company has utilized LEDs to create ‘virtual sky’ of passing clouds for office workers.

The Stuttgart-based Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Engineering IAO replicate the feeling of spaciousness and freedom what we experience outdoors into indoors: a luminous ceiling that extends across the entire room simulates lighting conditions which resemble those produced by passing clouds – conveying the impression that you are sitting outdoors.

The innovative luminous ceiling, which was developed by the Fraunhofer researchers and their partners at LEiDs GmbH, consists of 50cm by 50cm tiles.

According to Dr. Matthias Bues, head of department at the IAO, “Each tile comprises an LED board with 288 LEDs. The board is mounted on the ceiling. A diffuser film in matt white is attached approximately 30cm beneath the LEDs and ensures that the individual points of light are not perceived as such. This diffuser film creates homogenous lighting that illuminates the room throughout.”

The researchers used a combination of red, blue, green and white LEDs to produce the full light spectrum. This combination makes it possible to generate more than 16 million hues.

To simulate natural lighting conditions on a cloudy day is the core of the goal. To achieve this goal, the researchers carefully examined natural light to find out how – and how quickly – the light spectrum changes when clouds move across the sky.

“The LEDs allow us to simulate these dynamic changes in lighting in a way that is not directly obvious to the naked eye. Otherwise the lighting might distract people from their work. But it does need to fluctuate enough to promote concentration and heighten alertness,” said Bues.

Currently, the results of a preliminary study indicate that users find this dynamic lighting to be pleasant.