RIT's Munsell Color Science Lab Helps Visualize Success for Imaging Science

FOUNDED IN 1829 AND NESTLED IN A SPACIOUS 1,300-ACRE CAMPUS IN suburban Henrietta, New York, the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) is well known for its advanced engineering and science programs. One of RIT's core differentiators is the school's extensive cooperative education or “co-op” program, where students gain real-world hands-on experience working in full-time (typically paid) positions in their fields of study.

The Munsell Color Science Laboratory at RIT focuses on the science behind the human perception of color and imaging, and how it is researched, experimented upon, and explored. Mark Fairchild is a tenured professor in the Color Science program at the Munsell Laboratory, training the next generation of color and imaging scientists. He is also the recipient of the 2021 SID Otto Schade Prize for his contributions to quantifying spatial display performance and analogous human visual performance metrics.

Fairchild has been involved with research in the visual sciences for 40 years. He initially was attracted to RIT as an undergraduate student interested in photography. When visiting the campus, he learned of RIT's program in Photographic Science (now called Imaging Science) and immediately was smitten with the ability to combine his interests in photography with talents in math and science for a potential career in industrial research.

RIT's focus on color and imaging and its Color Science program are unique. Historically, the Munsell Laboratory is recognized for research in the practical psychophysics of color perception and relating those perceptions to developing technologies, such as imaging systems and systems of color measurement and specification. Currently, researchers in the lab are studying topics such as fundamental attributes of color perception, the conservation and spectral imaging of cultural heritage, color in augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR) systems (Fig. 1), perception and processing in high dynamic range (HDR) imaging systems and displays, and the interaction of humans with advancing technologies such as social robots.

One current study is focusing on how skin tone, lighting, and facial realism impact the overall positive experience that a person has with an AI-based animated support bot. Graduate candidates are studying this from an empirical standpoint to inform AI-based companies how to have the greatest chance for successful interactions.

In regard to visual display technology, RIT students and faculty have been collaborating with those in the display industry recently to examine advanced topics, such as:

The main focus of RIT's program is graduate education, with master's and doctoral programs in color science. Most of the research involves graduate students in those programs. The lab has six full-time faculty in color science, with other associated faculty across campus. The program typically has approximately 20 graduate students working with the group, as well as a few visitors from other universities or industrial labs (Fig. 2).

As with many university research labs, funding and space are always big challenges. “While we have wonderful facilities dedicated to our program, we could always use a little more elbow room to set up new experiments or perhaps work with more students,” said Fairchild. Although their research funding comes from a variety of industrial and government sources, the applied nature of the research means that the bulk of external research funding comes from industry.

Previously, companies were more willing to fund university research as a philanthropic venture, knowing they would benefit from the well-educated graduates in the long run. As time has passed, companies are more interested in short-term deliverables on funded research, and that is sometimes a challenge to coordinate with the needs of the students to make fundamental advancements and publish their work.

“Franc Grum, the Munsell Lab's first director, had a motto, nulli secundus, ‘second to none.’ Those of us who were around at the beginning took that to heart and built a lab that was more than the sum of its parts. The lab has always been a very collaborative team of researchers and never dependent on a single faculty member. And somehow, we developed a culture in which we all wanted to see each other succeed. As I near my retirement and have passed on the reins to the next generation of faculty, I am very thankful to see that culture continue and hope it will into the future,” said Fairchild.

All students are encouraged to spend time working in industry during their education at RIT. Internships not only provide great experience, they are a link between theory and practice. Scientific communication plays a key role on top of the technical and scientific details. Students spend a lot of time writing papers and preparing oral presentations within all of the courses, and they put that immediately into practice with journal papers and conference presentations on their research.

Most graduates from the Munsell Lab go on to industrial research positions in a variety of fields ranging from imaging systems (cameras, software, and displays), to colorimetric instrumentation, to traditional fields such as materials (coatings, textiles, and plastics). A few have successfully pursued academic careers to continue the tradition of passing color science knowledge to future generations. Some of the students, staff, and faculty have started successful companies in areas of imaging and instrumentation.

Their focus normally is to publish results openly and as quickly as possible, but there have been a few patents by faculty, students, and other researchers. Most of that work is not seen directly by consumers, but some of the lab's contributions to the field are implemented in a variety of camera systems, television and computer displays, and image-encoding systems. “I like to explain to friends, family, and potential students that we don't directly make smartphones, or cameras, or televisions, but the fundamental research we complete has made meaningful contributions to making all of those better visual experiences for users,” said Fairchild.

One of the primary challenges facing the advancement of research in this field is continued funding to support graduate students. The staff continues to work closely with companies in the display industry and beyond to keep producing a steady stream of graduates. “While we are a small program, we continue to receive more applications from prospective students than we can possibly accommodate, and our graduates have been highly sought after to fill positions in a variety of areas.”

Regarding emerging technology, visual display technology is advancing rapidly. Substantial research is required to improve the human experience with displays and technology. For example, widening the color gamut of a display introduces larger individual differences in color perception. There is something to be learned on optimizing the tradeoffs between seemingly better technical specifications and better user experiences. Examples of such tradeoffs can be identified for all display application areas. “The human visual system is immensely complex, and there will always be more to learn about how to optimally present visual information to maximize enjoyment and/or information transmission,” said Fairchild.

Regarding current projects, Fairchild is an avid photographer and has been working on a photographic book, Munsell Trees: A Season of Leaves and Colors, that will be published later this year by RIT Press (Fig. 3). This includes his photographs of regional leaves from various tree species as they progress in color through a growing season. The colors are related to a discussion of the Munsell Book of Color (developed by the lab's namesake, Albert Munsell) and the observations of nature by Henry David Thoreau.

“I am most proud of my students and all they have gone on to accomplish in the field in various roles in industry and academia. It is very rewarding to see what they have accomplished and know that I had some part in their journey toward success. On a personal note, I would say the same thing about our two daughters. The eldest is currently a pediatric resident at Strong Memorial Hospital here in Rochester, and our youngest is entering the final year of the bachelor's/master's program in mechanical engineering here at RIT. I hope I had some impact on their choices to enter STEM fields and assisted at least a little bit along the way in their ongoing successes. Of course, their mother probably had more to do with it!”

While considering the milestones and successes of RIT's Color Science program, Fairchild said, “The most rewarding experiences tend to be those that are shared with students. For example, when a student gives a conference presentation that is voted by the attendees as best paper or poster of the conference. While the students always deserve the most credit, such awards are very special to me as their mentor.”