Research Exploration

Research is an essential skill required for engineering. It not only allows engineers to make
decisions when creating their own designs, but also enables them to learn the design values and
decisions of existing products. During the second term of first engineering design course (Praxis II), I
work with my group members on the project that helps outdoor archers to find lost arrows. As we were
wondering whether we should amplify a signal from the arrow that can be sensed by human sensory
systems, I found some interesting research on human vision. These findings also helped me identify the
engineering design values of the objects around me, for example, fluorescent coloured clothing.

Construction workers usually wear high-visibility safety apparel ("High-Visibility Safety

Apparel", 2017) while working. This type of clothing usually has fluorescent yellow stripes on it or
sometimes the entire jacket is fluorescent yellow. Many types of sportswear for outdoor runners and
cyclists are also designed to be fluorescent yellow (Heid, 2010). According to my research, the presence
of fluorescent yellow elements on both types of clothing should not be coincidence. In this context,
fluorescent makes a design safer.

Construction workers and cyclists or runners often exposed to the busy traffic on the roads. It is
important for the drivers of the vehicles to notice them easily to minimize the chance of hitting them.
Human see objects since the light rays are emitted or reflected off the objects. The light rays pass
through the cornea, the lens, and then be refracted and come to a focusing point on the retina ("How
the Human Eye Works", 2016). The nerve cells connected to the retina would process and transmit
those light impulses to the brain and then we see the image. The cells on retina responsible for sensing
colors are called cone cells. There are three types of cone cells classified by the colour (wavelength of
the light ray) which each of them is most sensitive to, as the curve shown ("Visible Light and the Eye's
Response", 2016).
 In order for human to see yellow (about 550 nm wavelength), both red and green cone cells
are triggered to send electric signals to the brain. The brain interprets this combination of signals as
yellow. The study shows that human has maximum sensitivity at 550 nm wavelength, which is yellow.
It also intuitively makes sense by looking at the cone sensitivity curve, where the wavelength of 550 nm
is close to the sensitivity peak of both red and green cone cells. Therefore, the colour yellow makes the
clothing highly visible and alerts drivers and other vehicle operators ("High-Visibility Safety Apparel",
2017) of a persons presence, hence protects the safety of the person wears it.

Fluorescent material plays an essential role at dusk as the visible spectrum of light is shifting
towards shorter wavelengths (Juskalian, 2009). Materials that reflect off normal visible light become
less visible since the sunlight is not as strong. However, fluorescent material absorbs ultraviolet light,
which has shorter wavelength than visible lights. It reemits light with longer wavelength which can be
seen by humans. In low light conditions, fluorescent materials appear to be almost glowing and are
more effective than bright colours ("High-Visibility Safety Apparel", 2017). In addition, as daytime
turns to dusk, the burden of vision shifts from cone cells to rod cells (Juskalian, 2009). Rod cell is
another type of photoreceptor cell on the retina and it is sensitive to pick up luminance rather than
colour. As fluorescent material would appear brighter than the surrounding in low light conditions,
drivers would notice them more easily and makes it safer for those who wear the fluorescent clothing.

These experiences of researching the biological aspects of human vision gives me a lesson that
as a student engineer, I would need to learn knowledge from many different disciplines in order to
maximize the performance of my design projects. Also, engineering design decisions or values could be
observed everywhere around me. Identifying and research about them would help me understand
design values better. I would continue to observe and identify the engineering design principles that
come up in my everyday life; I would research, understand and reflect on how professional engineers
incorporate those values into the designs, and eventually being able to creatively apply my
understanding and my design values to my own designs for my future career.
 References

Heid, M. (2010). The Brightest, Most Visible Safety Colors for Cyclists and Runners - AMC Articles. AMC.

Retrieved 10 April 2017, from http://www.outdoors.org/articles/amc-outdoors/the-brightest-

most-visible-safety-colors-for-cyclists-and-runners/

High-Visibility Safety Apparel. (2017). Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety. Retrieved 10

April 2017, from https://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/prevention/ppe/high_visibility.html

How the Human Eye Works. (2016). Nkcf.org. Retrieved 10 April 2017, from

https://www.nkcf.org/about-keratoconus/how-the-human-eye-works/

Juskalian, R. (2009). Staying Safe As Days Darken. Newsweek. Retrieved 10 April 2017, from

http://www.newsweek.com/staying-safe-days-darken-81459

Visible Light and the Eye's Response. (2016). The Physics Classroom. Retrieved 10 April 2017, from

http://www.physicsclassroom.com/class/light/Lesson-2/Visible-Light-and-the-Eye-s-Response