Light and Cars: a simulation platform for the study of car interior ligthing.

The article explores the importance of the lighting environment within the vehicle in influencing the user experience. The state of the art in the automotive world shows that this topic, thanks to digitization and technological innovations, but also given developments in the world of autonomous driving, is becoming increasingly important. The article describes the work setting within the AXD research laboratory at the Politecnico di Milano: a space equipped with a driving simulator and a lighting setting capable of recreating experiences close to reality. The experimentation described investigates the scenario of a passenger falling asleep and waking up in the back seat. Four conditions were tested: two different arrangements and color palettes. The participants were all subjected to both color conditions, while they experienced only one light setting (between personal and ambient light). The results, emerging from the analysis of the self-assessment surveys and interviews, show the participants' preference for the warmer palette in the falling asleep situation and the cooler palette in the waking situation. This experiment serves as a starting point for the development of research in the same field, emphasizing the realization of physical prototypes close to reality and the involvement of users in the testing phase.