Lumen Air : “the day I started an airline”

This project developed a custom programmable interior aviation lighting system prototype to better acclimate the body clock of passengers traveling on eight-hour plus flights to the time zone of their destination, thereby providing a more pleasant and peaceful journey. To achieve this end, I employed the use of lighting cues, which were carefully constructed visual looks that employ color, duration and intensity. This manipulation of lighting cues was constructed to the natural ebb and flow of flight-related events. This project was presented as 8-hour and 3-hour durational performances in two partial sections of a full-scale mockup. The first section was a hyper realistic mockup that more accurately represented an aircraft cabin, including details such as overhead bins and reading lights, with full cabin service. Each of the flights was accompanied by a surround sound soundscape from takeoff to landing with full cabin service including five-course meals, wine, champagne, and beer to provide an air of authenticity. This section represented “real time” passage of time for an approximately eight-hour flight from Austin, Texas to Frankfurt, Germany. The second section was a simplified version of the main mockup, also in full scale. This mockup was designed to provide a lighting system using time-lapsed acceleration to accomplish the same flight in approximately 18 minutes as a concept demonstration with accompanying video.