Adaptive Illumination System for Animal Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Artificial outdoor lighting negatively affects nocturnal and crepuscular animals, such as bats, by disrupting their natural behavior and habitat, yet drastically reducing lighting is not feasible due to its benefits for human safety and activities.
Innovation Solution
A method and device that detect animal presence using signals like ultrasonic or acoustic signals to temporarily adjust light properties, such as intensity or color, to minimize disruption to animals while maintaining sufficient illumination for human environments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If artificial outdoor lighting is maintained at high intensity, then human safety and outdoor activity capability are improved, but animal behavior and habitat are disrupted
Solution Approach 1:
The lighting system dynamically adjusts its properties (intensity, spectrum, timing) based on real-time detection of animal presence, transitioning from static continuous lighting to adaptive variable lighting that responds to environmental conditions and biological factors
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses sensors to detect animal presence and feeds this information back to the control unit, which then adjusts lighting parameters accordingly, creating a closed-loop control system that balances human needs with animal welfare
Solution Approach 3:
The system changes multiple lighting parameters simultaneously including intensity reduction, spectral shifts away from animal-sensitive wavelengths, and temporal modulation to minimize impact on animals while preserving illumination functionality
2Object-affected harmful factors
If outdoor lighting is drastically reduced to protect animals, then animal welfare is improved, but human safety and outdoor activity are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies different lighting conditions to different spatial and temporal zones - full illumination where humans are present, reduced or spectrally-modified illumination where animals are detected, creating localized quality variations throughout the illuminated area
3Reliability
If continuous high-intensity lighting is used, then human safety is maintained, but energy consumption increases and animal behavior is disrupted
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs periodic sensing cycles to detect animals and periodic adjustment cycles to modify lighting parameters, replacing continuous high-intensity operation with intermittent adaptive control that reduces overall energy consumption while maintaining safety
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach allows for a balance between human safety and animal welfare by reducing light intensity or altering its spectral properties in response to detected animals, thereby mitigating habitat disruption and enhancing animal safety without compromising human safety needs.
Implementation Method 1
acquiring a signal; comparing said signal with a predetermined set of characteristics indicating the presence of an animal
Implementation Method 2
The animal indication signal may be any kind of signal which indicates the presence of an animal. In particular, the signal may be an electromagnetic signal, such as a radio signal, or an optical signal, a shockwave signal that may be transmitted through the ground, or a pressure signal, such as an acoustic signal
Data Source
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AI summary
An illumination method, comprising the steps of emitting (101) light suitable for providing illumination for human activities; detecting an animal indication signal (7) indicative of the presence of an animal (6); temporarilychanging (105) at least one property ofthe light in response to the detected presence of the animal (6).