Influence of the design parameters of floor-level guidance lights under a restricted field of view

This study aimed to investigate the design requirements for a cost-effective floor-level guidance lighting system that can assist mobility in individuals with restricted field of view and to determine the influence of the design parameters on walking straight ahead in such individuals.

Twenty sighted people (age: 21.4 ± 0.5 years) whose field of view was restricted to 6° using visual-field restriction goggles were instructed to walk straight along floor-level guidance lights after detecting them. The experimental factors were lighting patterns (continuous light, 2-s periodic flash, and 6-s periodic flash), installation length (0.02, 0.3, and 0.6 m), and installation spacing (1, 3, and 5 m). The search time for the guidance light, travel speed, number of stops, and subjective walkability were analysed using a linear mixed-effects model.

The mobility performance was significantly and substantially higher for the continuous light than for the 2- and 6-s periodic flash conditions. The performance also improved significantly and considerably as the guidance lights became longer. Although shorter installation spacing tended to yield higher performance, its effect was relatively limited.

Within the range examined, installing continuous floor-level guidance lights with an installation length of 0.6 m at 1-m installation spacing is effective for supporting the mobility of individuals with restricted fields of view. To reduce installation costs with minimal loss of the supporting effect, we recommend expanding the installation spacing while maintaining continuous light and installation length.