Blue Light Special For Tired Truckers
- A new LED device may help keep drivers awake during long haulsBlue LEDs: better than coffee?: Photo by ledshop.com
Bye-bye, NoDoz. New Scientist reports today that researchers from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute are developing a new technology designed to help truckers stay alert through all-night hauls. Instead of popping stimulants, drivers may soon rely on special LED lights to reset the body’s internal clock.
The lights, which cast an eerie blue glow and emit light spectra of 450 and 470 nanometers, could potentially be installed in truck cabs, or delivered in "light showers" at truck stops along major shipping routes. Another alternative would be to build the lights into goggles, which the drivers could wear for a set period of time before taking off.
Mariana Figueiro, author of the paper published by Rensselaer Polytechnic, has already tested the goggle device on Alzheimer’s patients with impaired circadian rhythms. "After 45 minutes there is a clear effect," Figueiro told New Scientist. "You start to see a beautiful increase in brain activity in the 300 milliseconds response, which is a measure of alertness
-From Popular Science,USA
专用于疲劳卡车司机的兰色灯
- 一种新型LED装置会帮助司机在长途运输中保持清醒。
一份新的科学家报告称来自Rensselaer工艺学院的研究人员正在研究一种新技术,来帮助卡车司机在通宵驾驶中保持清醒。很快驾驶员将可以依赖于特殊的LED灯光而不是间歇的震动声来重新安排身体的内部时钟。
这种发出奇异兰光的灯发出的光谱为450-470纳米,可以被安装在卡车驾驶室,或分布在沿着主要运输路线的卡车站台的“灯阵”里。另一个选择是将灯安装在护目镜中,这样驾驶员在出发前可以在设定时间段里佩戴。
由Rensselaer工艺学院出版的这篇论文的作者-Mariana Figueiro,早已将该装置在生理节奏削弱的Alzheimer的病人身上进行测量。“在45分钟后,产生了明显的作用,”Figueiro告诉新科学家。“你开始在300毫秒反应后看到一种美妙的脑活动增加,这是警觉性的一种度量。
-编译自Popular Science,美国