On the identification and interpretation of human skin spectral responses under adverse environmental conditions

The identification and interpretation of skin spectral responses play a central role in a wide range of biomedical engineering applications, from the noninvasive assessment of human health parameters to the location of individuals in distress during search and rescue operations. In this paper, we investigate the sensitivity of these responses to physiological changes triggered by adverse environmental conditions. Our findings, which are supported by predictive computer simulations and experimental observations reported in the scientific literature, indicate that the resulting variations of skin reflectance can be substantial. Accordingly, if not properly taken into account, they may considerably impair the efficacy of systems designed for the detection and analysis of skin signatures within and outside the visible spectral region.