The CIE is pleased to share that Dr. Paola Iacomussi successfully delivered a tutorial at AutoSens USA 2026, which took place from 9-11 June in Detroit, USA. She is Chair of CIE Research Forum RF-06 “Toward a New CIE Reference Observer – Non-Biological,” which brings together interested experts to support the development of a roadmap towards a new reference non-biological observer, particularly for road applications. Dr. Iacomussi is a senior researcher at INRIM, the Italian National Metrological Institute, in the Department of Applied Metrology and Engineering, and a lecturer at the University of Turin.
At AutoSens Detroit 2026, Dr. Iacomussi delivered the tutorial “Why Your Perception System Depends on 50-Year-Old Road Standards,” providing an overview of CIE documents used to establish requirements for the nighttime environment. The tutorial drew on a catalogue of CIE publications relevant to road applications, visual signalling, retroreflection, colour vision, and vehicle lighting, including CIE 039.2-1983 Recommendations for Surface Colours for Visual Signalling, 2nd ed., CIE 072-1987 Guide to the Properties and Uses of Retroreflectors at Night, CIE 143:2001 International Recommendations for Colour Vision Requirements for Transport, ISO 16508:1999(E)/CIE S 006.1/E-1998 Road Traffic Lights – Photometric Properties of 200 mm Roundel Signals, CIE S 004/E:2001 Colours of Light Signals, CIE S 021/E:2011 Vehicle Headlighting Systems Photometry Performance – Method of Assessment, and CIE S 027:2024 Photometry of Road Illumination Devices, Light-Signalling Devices and Retroreflective Devices for Road Vehicles.
The CIE and the automotive industry share a parallel timeline, with both emerging in the early twentieth century. The importance of this topic is underscored by CIE Publication No. 2, Colours of Light Signals, published in 1959 and dedicated entirely to visual signalling requirements; the first CIE publication was the Lighting Vocabulary. Together with experiments on visual thresholds that began after the Second World War, this work provided a core foundation for modern standards addressing visual requirements in the road environment. In addition, the provisional colour and signal recommendations adopted at the 1951 and 1955 CIE Sessions marked a decisive transition towards a robust, scientific approach to standardisation in this field.
AutoSens is a leading technical event for the automotive sensing community, bringing together experts working on advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), autonomous vehicles, perception systems, sensors, and related technologies. The tutorial presented at AutoSens USA 2026 demonstrated how established CIE work continues to support current discussions on road safety, automated mobility, and robust perception in practical nighttime road environments, especially as vehicle technologies increasingly depend on reliable interpretation of the visual environment.