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Master's Teses Master's Teses and Graduate Research
2009
Efects of telepresence light height and ambient
light on glare and appearance
James P. Beno
San Jose State University
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Recommended Citation
Beno, James P., "Efects of telepresence light height and ambient light on glare and appearance" (2009). Master's Teses. 3688.
DOI: htps://doi.org/10.31979/etd.wpz7-kjd6
htps://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/etd_theses/3688
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EFFECTS OF TELEPRESENCE LIGHT HEIGHT AND AMBIENT LIGHT
ON GLARE AND APPEARANCE
A Thesis
Presented to
The Faculty of the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering
San Jose State University
In Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the Degree
Master of Science
in Human Factors and Ergonomics
by
James P. Beno
August 2009
UMI Number: 1478587
All rights reserved
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UMI 1478587
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James P. Beno
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SAN JOSE STATE UNIVERSITY
The Undersigned Thesis Committee Approves the Thesis Titled
EFFECTS OF TELEPRESENCE LIGHT HEIGHT AND AMBIENT LIGHT
ON GLARE AND APPEARANCE
by
James P. Beno
APPROVED FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF INDUSTRIAL AND
SYSTEMS ENGINEERING (ISE)
Louis E, Freund, Ph.D. Department of ISE ^ Date
s0frf^T Mau 7t loot
Emily H. WughalterJEd.D. ^Department of Kinesiology Date
Abas Moalem, Ph.D. Department of ISE Date
APPROVED FOR THE UNIVERSITY
V
ABSTRACT
EFFECTS OF TELEPRESENCE LIGHT HEIGHT AND AMBIENT LIGHT
ON GLARE AND APPEARANCE
by James P. Beno
Telepresence technology may soon appear in the home where changing light
conditions could make it difficult to portray a person well on video. This research
investigated whether the amount of telepresence fill light required for a well-lit
appearance was enough to cause discomfort glare. Thirty participants adjusted the output
of two fill lights: one in front of them (focusing on discomfort) and one in front of the
remote telepresence user (focusing on appearance). Ambient light levels (48-71 lux,
118-130 lux, 269-281 lux) and fill-light positions (top of display, 30.5 cm higher) were
varied. For all conditions, the amount of light required to produce a pleasing portrayal
was greater than that at the point of discomfort. The mean discomfort threshold was the
2
same for all ambient light conditions (663.46 cd/m , 8.44 lux at 2.44 m), possibly because
background luminance did not change enough. The amount of light that produced a well-
2
lit appearance was about the same for dim and moderate ambient light (3,348.65 cd/m ,
2
51.61 lux at 2.44 m) but lower for bright ambient light (1,204.47 cd/m , 17.81 lux at 2.44
m). Raising the light source did not affect discomfort but did require more light for a
good portrayal. Technology providers should consider collocating the fill light with the
2
display, limiting its luminance to 663.46 cd/m for low-light environments similar to this
research, and raising or lowering that limit as the background luminance changes.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This research could only have been achieved with the help and guidance of many
people along the way. First and foremost, a great deal of thanks are due to my wonderful
wife, Mayuko Ueda, for her constant support, encouragement, and patience with all the
time spent in front of the computer, in the lab, or in the garage.
In addition, a debt of gratitude is owed to: Robin Ritch and Michael Lenz, for the
opportunity to do this research and ongoing support; Rene Radoc, for all the hard work in
the labs; Adam Cohn and Lynn Amer, for their help and consultation; Juli Satoh and
Ginny Bowen, for insight on lighting and decor; Chris Kryzan, for identifying the
business need; Greg Thorson, for help with LED lights; Jon Hull and Gordon Shephard,
for all the discussions and troubleshooting; Mathew Burns and Ali Ebrahimi, for
recognizing the importance of my education; Guidot Jouret and Jim Grubb, for help
finding this path; D'Anne Harp and Steve Hays, for being guinea pigs in the pilots; and to
all the participants that took time out of their busy day to sit and stare at a bright light.
Much appreciation is also due to my advisor, Dr. Louis E. Freund, and my thesis
committee members, Dr. Emily H. Wughalter and Dr. Abbas Moallem. Their guidance
and critical eyes ensured this research had a solid foundation, was well designed, and was
ultimately communicated as a high quality publication.
v
This research is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Kevin Corker,
who guided me during a prior research topic, and was a fountain of inspiration and
wisdom to all the faculty and students of San Jose State University.
VI
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chapter Page
1. INTRODUCTION 1
Problem Statement 12
Hypotheses 13
Definition of Terms 13
Importance of the Study 14
2. REVIEW OF LITERATURE 17
Presence 17
Portrayal 20
Discomfort Glare 2
3. METHOD 24
Participants 25
Recruiting 25
Screning 26
Group Asignment 27
Design 27
Independent Variables 29
Dependent Variables 30
Materials 32
Rom Layout 32
vi
Rom Cros-Section 36
Ambient Lighting 39
Telepresence Systems 43
Variable Fil Light 45
Control Box 48
Multimeters 48
Voltage Corelations 51
Discomfort Glare Scale 54
Apearance Scale 54
Procedure 56
Preparation 57
Introduction (2 minutes) 57
Ambient Light: Dim (10 minutes) 58
Ambient Light: Moderate (10 minutes) 60
Ambient Light: Bright (10 minutes) 60
Wrap-up (8 minutes) 61
Analysis 61
4. RESULTS 63
Descriptive Statistics 63
Discomfort Threshold 63
Required Fil Level 67
viii
