Time course of chromatic adaptation under dynamic lighting

Abstract

Chromatic adaptation is an extensively studied concept. However, less is known about the time course of chromatic adaptation under gradually-changing lighting. Two experiments were carried out to quantify the time course of chromatic adaptation under dynamic lighting. In the first experiment, a step change in lighting chromaticity was used. The time course of adaptation was well described by the Rinner and Gegenfurtner slow adaptation exponential model [Vision Research, 40(14), 2000], and the adaptation state after saturation differed between observers. In the second experiment, chromatic adaptation was measured in response to two different speeds of lighting chromaticity transitions. An adjusted exponential model was able to fit the observed time course of adaptation for both lighting transition speeds.