Luminantcontrast

Luminantcontrast is a perceptual metric used in visual science and display engineering to quantify how luminance levels interact with image contrast in producing perceived differences. Unlike traditional contrast measures that assume a fixed adaptation state, luminantcontrast integrates luminance, local contrast, and surrounding illumination to yield a single value that reflects perceived contrast across varying lighting conditions.

The metric is derived from measurements of scene luminance (L) and contrast (C) together with psychophysical scaling data, and is implemented in image processing pipelines to predict visibility of edges and texture under different adaptation states. It aims to predict how bright areas and dark areas contribute to overall perceived structure in an image.

Origin and adoption: Luminantcontrast was proposed in the vision science literature during the 2010s by researchers exploring how adaptation influences perceived contrast. It has since been explored for display calibration, image quality assessment, and accessibility research, among other applications.

Applications include display manufacturing, high dynamic range imaging, augmented reality rendering, medical imaging, and photography, where it helps compare image representations under different ambient lighting. In practice, luminantcontrast supports more robust quality assessment than traditional metrics when scenes vary in illumination or viewer adaptation.

Limitations: the metric depends on the underlying psychophysical model and viewing conditions, and results can vary across observer groups and devices. Ongoing work seeks to standardize definitions, validate predictions across content types, and expand applicability to dynamic or spectrally diverse scenes.

See also: Luminance, Contrast sensitivity, Michelson contrast, Weber contrast, Visual perception.