1. Introduction
After the autumnal equinox, as the nights get longer during fall and winter, decorative illuminations can be enjoyed in cities and towns around the world. Light is a fundamental element of social life. Light is also widely used in industrial applications. This article aims to deepen understanding of standards related to daily life by focusing on light-related standards, particularly standardization regarding three-dimensional aerial images and providing an overview of their characteristics and roles in the future.
Technological standards are considered an essential policy tool not only for innovative product development but also for rule-making related to industrial and trade policy. Standards are often challenging to understand for non-experts because they serve multifaceted and diverse roles. To learn about the concept of standards categorical explanations based on their functions is useful. This article aims to deepen understanding of light-related standards by taking this approach.
2. Background
When classifying standards based on their function, they can be distinguished from categories such as product, measurement, and basic terminology [1]. Product standards specify the shape of objects, with examples including the shapes of screws. Measurement standards define the conditions under which a product's performance is measured. Since results can vary significantly depending on measurement conditions, establishing consensus on the purpose of measurement is essential for standardizing measurement methods.
The role of measurement standards becomes particularly important in disruptive innovation rather than incremental innovation. In the case of existing technology, methods for comparing performance are often already established. However, for products utilizing new technology, due to the absence of criteria for evaluating performance, marketing them is difficult. In addition, from a consumer protection perspective, it is essential that consumers can determine whether a product possesses the quality they need, and standards that define measurement methods play a significant role. Furthermore, comparing performance between different products requires comparisons based on the same measurement methods, which can also promote fair competition among companies.
Basic terminology standards are also necessary when new technological concepts emerge through innovation. New terms are introduced, and the same terms may be used in different contexts when new scientific discoveries emerge. It is essential to unify their usage and meaning. In this way, , standards are often classified based on their functions. This classification method is applicable across technical fields and by combining this method with trends in specific technical areas, it becomes easier to grasp the role of standards regarding the intended subject.
3. Standards Related to Light
Considering that the speed of light is a fundamental constant used in various physical laws, standards related to light can serve diverse roles. Light serves as a medium for transmitting information and refers to the portion of the electromagnetic spectrum visible to the human eye.
In the hardware field, product standards have been established in areas such as fiber optics, laser safety, and optical discs [2]. Beyond the application for hardware, the use of light has expanded today into decorative applications in the entertainment and content businesses. Color specification standards play a crucial role in manufacturing processes within fields like product design.
The Japanese Industrial Standards (JIS) define not only the three primary colors of light (red, blue, and yellow) but also a diverse range of color names that can be used in literary expression and in other contexts [3]. These color standards are also used in fields such as crafts and art. Because standards concerning light can cover not only shape and measurement but also visual elements, their application area is actually surprisingly broad.
4. Future Expectations
With the advancement from two-dimensional monochrome displays to two-dimensional multicolor displays, the range of applications in terms of products and designs has expanded. Advances in information and communication technology have enabled large-scale data processing, driving research and standardization related to multi-color, three-dimensional aerial displays [4-6].
While some methods require viewing goggles, others do not, but goggle-free systems allow for more versatile applications. For example, in the arts, attempts are underway to fuse Noh, a traditional Japanese theater art, with three-dimensional aerial displays to create new forms of artistic expression [7].
By achieving a level of immersion that was difficult to achieve with two-dimensional displays, this technology is expected to diversify visual expression and foster the creation of new content and media industries. Furthermore, new display technologies can stimulate research and development and innovation by enabling the exploration and formation of novel hypotheses, contributing to future research [8].
5. Conclusion
Light is deeply involved in human vision and perception. In addition to standards formulated for product manufacturing, standards concerning “color,” which impacts daily life, have also been established. Standards concerning light are also important from the perspective of knowledge informatics and the social implementation of artistic expression. They are worthy of attention from the viewpoint of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics) education, which focuses on both science and the arts. In particular, for new expression technologies like three-dimensional stereoscopic displays to become widespread in society, it is necessary for various types of data to be displayable in three dimensions across diverse devices. Standardization will play a significant role in achieving this. New expression technologies utilizing light have the potential not only to advance product design but also to pioneer cutting-edge fields in artistic expression and creative works, which could lead to societal transformation.
Acknowledgments
Research related to this column was conducted with support from JSPS KAKENHI (Grant Number 23K01529: Principal Investigator: Tamura, Suguru). I would like to express my gratitude to Professor Hirotsugu YAMAMOTO, Distinguished Professor at the Optics Center, Faculty of Engineering, Utsunomiya University in Japan, for sharing the latest developments in de jure international standardization regarding three-dimensional aerial expression.
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October 31, 2025
>> Original text in Japanese
