Stadium Uplight Structures for Ball-Triggered Visibility Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Sports venues face issues with light pollution and energy waste due to continuous operation of uplights, which are necessary only intermittently to maintain visibility of balls hit above downlights, leading to increased operational costs and reduced bulb lifespan.
Innovation Solution
A system with sensors and a computing device that predicts the motion characteristics of a ball using cameras and microphones to activate uplights only when necessary, minimizing light pollution and energy consumption by dynamically controlling uplight activation based on real-time data.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If uplights are continuously activated to maintain ball visibility above downlights, then ball visibility is improved, but light pollution and energy consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts uplight activation based on real-time sensor data. The control system monitors ball position and uplight status, activating uplights only when balls are detected above downlights and deactivating them when balls are below, creating a dynamic response to changing conditions rather than continuous operation
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback control by continuously monitoring ball position through sensors and using this information to control uplight activation. The control system receives feedback about ball location and adjusts uplight status accordingly, ensuring lights are on only when necessary for ball visibility
2Illumination intensity
If uplights are continuously activated to maintain ball visibility, then ball visibility is improved, but bulb lifespan is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically controls uplight operation based on actual need. By monitoring ball position and activating uplights only when balls ascend above downlights, the system reduces cumulative operating hours of the bulbs, thereby extending their lifespan while maintaining visibility when required
3Illumination intensity
If uplights are continuously activated, then ball visibility is improved, but light pollution in surrounding communities increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses periodic sensing and control to determine when uplights are needed. Rather than continuous operation, the system periodically monitors ball position and activates uplights in periodic intervals only when balls are detected above the downlight level, reducing overall light emission into the community
Data Source
AI summary
This disclosure describes a system including one or more lighting structures, each lighting structure comprising one or more uplights. The system further includes one or more sensors each directed towards a common focal area and a computing device in communication with each of the one or more sensors. The computing device includes one or more processors configured to control the one or more sensors to capture data descriptive of a ball moving above the common focal area. Based on the data, the one or more processors predict a motion characteristic of the ball and compare the motion characteristic to a threshold motion characteristic. In response to the motion characteristic being greater than or equal to the threshold motion characteristic, the one or more processors activate at least one of the one or more uplights.