What is Li-Fi Technology?
Consider movie scenes where a character uses a flashlight to transmit a message to another character using morse code. Like that but much, much faster is how Li-Fi technology operates. And the lamp is being communicated with by your smartphone’s light pulses. Confused? Intrigued?
What is Li-Fi Technology?
According to the slogan of a well-known Li-Fi business, PureLiFi, Li-Fi is where “Light becomes data.“
Light Fidelity is referred to as Li-Fi. It is a wireless communication technology that transmits data quickly using light in the visible and infrared spectrums. The fifth-generation (5G) of communication technology, or Li-Fi, has been described.
Li-Fi can be described as a type of visible light communication, which is a broad category (VLC). One feature that distinguishes Li-Fi from other VLC subsets is its ability to transmit data in both directions, i.e., from a light source to a device and back.
History of Li-Fi
Graham Bell’s Photophone, which he created in 1880, is the ancestor of VLC and, consequently, Li-Fi. A beam of light was used by the photophone, a wireless communication device, to transmit speech. It is believed to have existed before fiber optic communication, and is currently Li-Fi.
Professor Harald Haas invented Li-Fi technology, and his TED Global 2011 talk, “Wireless Data from Every Light Bulb,” is credited with popularizing the term. For his work, Haas even earned the moniker “Father of Li-Fi.”
Even though many businesses are now experimenting with and commercializing Li-Fi, the majority of the research that went into this technology was conducted by Haas and his team.
Haas co-founded pureVLC Ltd., a Li-Fi business, in 2012. PureVLC Ltd. later changed its name to PureLiFi. The following year, they introduced Li-1st, the first commercial implementation of Li-Fi technology in the world. For mobile wireless communications, Li-Flame was introduced in 2015, and Li-Fi saw the introduction of its first industrial version in 2016.
How Does Li-Fi Work?
Since Li-Fi is a variation of VLC, it must have a transmitter and a receiver and transmit data using light.
Since Li-Fi networks are bi-directional, an uplink and a downlink can be created between the transmitter and receiver at the same time. This is why it lends itself so well to online communication. It should be noted that Li-Fi is a different way of deploying internet rather than an alternative method of obtaining it.
The two main components of a Li-Fi network are:
LED Light Source
Li-Fi uses light sources for data transmission, including both standard light fixtures that are already used for illumination and specialized light sources that are made just for the purpose. Due to their dependability and efficiency, LED lights are best suited for data transmission.
Both uplink and downlink are made possible by the presence of infrared detectors that pick up signals from various devices. The lighting fixtures can be powered and supplied with data using techniques like Power over Ethernet (POE) or Power-Line Communication. They serve as an access point for data (PLC).
Data is transmitted using light pulses that are emitted by the light source and can be received and decoded by a receiver. So having flickering lights all over the place wouldn’t it be unsettling? Actually, no. The problem is that the pulses would be too fast for our eyes to perceive because they would be produced at a frequency of more than a million times per second.
It’s not necessary for the lights to be overly bright either. In fact, they can be dimmed below the visible spectrum and still be used for their intended purpose. Therefore, you don’t necessarily need to turn off your internet connection when you dim the lights in your bedroom to go to sleep.
Li-Fi Enabled Devices
A receiver, or photodiode, is present in a Li-Fi enabled device for the purpose of detecting the signal embedded in the light sent out by the transmitter. Similar to translating morse code, the detector captures the modulated pulses and transforms them into data.
The devices also have infrared transmitters for sending data back up to the light source, enabling the flow of data in both directions.
Li-Fi vs Wi-Fi
Many people may be perplexed when they learn about Li-Fi for wireless communication and ask, “Wait, don’t you mean Wi-Fi?” Li-Fi is sort of like Wi-younger, Fi’s smarter, and less well-known cousin.
Wi-Fi is a common term, whereas Li-Fi is still a niche technology with few practical applications. We all rely on it every day to maintain our vital internet connections.
Li-Fi uses light, whereas Wi-Fi uses radiofrequency, which makes it different from the other. In the end, Wi-Fi and Li-Fi have the same function. One day, Li-Fi might even supplant Wi-Fi.
Li-Fi is quicker, more secure, has minimal to no interference problems even in densely populated areas, and it might be accessible anywhere there is a light fixture.
One drawback of Li-Fi is that connectivity is only possible with objects that are directly in a light fixture’s line of sight because light cannot travel through walls or other opaque objects. Or, more precisely, devices that are illuminated by the fixture either directly or indirectly, since reflected light can also transmit data.
Additionally, if we use existing lighting fixtures rather than lights that can be dimmed below the level of human vision, the signal is lost when the light is turned off. Another issue is the significant infrastructure disruption required for the widespread installation of Li-Fi.
Advantages of Li-Fi
Li-Fi technology is still in its infancy, and research is being done to find ways to improve it. Therefore, it would be clearer if we concentrated on its advantages and learned why Li-Fi technology is so crucial.
Overcoming Spectrum Crunch
These days, it would be difficult to find a home without internet access, and the volume of wireless traffic is dramatically rising each year. There is a chance that there won’t be enough radio frequency spectrum left to allocate any more, given that everything here uses it.
The term “spectrum crunch” refers to a phenomenon that may occur when the radio frequency spectrum becomes oversaturated. Our wireless communications experience increasing interference as we get closer to this, which would slow down our internet speeds.
As a result, Wi-Fi is unable to keep up with the rising data demand, which is where Li-Fi comes in. Li-Fi uses the infrared and visible light spectrum, which is about 2600 times larger than the radio frequency spectrum.
With a high transmission density, you can work without your connection speed suffering. Therefore, a future reliant on Li-Fi would be better equipped to handle the constantly increasing volumes of data transmission that we currently face.
High Speed
Li-Fi can transmit data at speeds of up to 224 GBps, according to tests, though the devices that are currently in use offer slower but still impressive speeds. The large light spectrum used in Li-Fi is another factor contributing to the high speed. It would be revolutionary to have such widespread access to fast internet.
Multipurpose and Sustainable
Li-Fi technology makes use of devices that accomplish two tasks at once by combining lighting and data communication into a single unit. The same lamp is capable of both lighting and data transmission.
For the most part, Li-Fi technology can also be used with existing lighting and infrastructure. Since LED lights are more efficient in general, replacing existing light fixtures with Li-Fi LED versions is not a waste.
Additionally, Li-Fi would save a lot of money and energy. This is due to the fact that a Wi-Fi network requires a number of constantly powered devices, such as routers, modems, and signal repeaters, to maintain a coverage area. Li-Fi makes use of lighting, which we frequently keep on.
This implies that Li-Fi could be utilized as a tool to close the digital divide by ensuring that everyone has access to the internet regardless of their financial situation. Li-Fi installation would be much more cost-effective and practical than installing free Wi-Fi hotspots in public areas like parks.
Secure
Walls, doors, and other opaque objects are not transparent to light. This means that your data transmissions are contained within the rooms that you specify. Although Li-Fi cannot pass through physical barriers, this fact also means that your connection’s complete security is guaranteed.
Instead of simply being anywhere within a few meters as is the case with Wi-Fi, a hacker would need to be in an area that is illuminated by your LED transmitters in order to attempt to breach your network.
Applications of Li-Fi
Li-Fi may permeate our world in the future, with data streaming through every streetlight and even the lights in your bathrooms. But at the moment, Li-Fi is used more for specific applications where its unique features have proven useful.
Let’s examine some of the noteworthy Li-Fi applications.
Hospitals and Aviation
The electromagnetic interference cannot affect Li-Fi. As a result, Li-Fi is perfect for use in hospitals because it doesn’t interfere with equipment that uses radio frequencies. Li-quickness Fi’s and accessibility also aid in real-time patient monitoring, frictionless communication, etc.
Similar to this, using Li-Fi for communication in aircrafts is advantageous because there won’t be any interference with the radar system or other radiofrequency devices. Passengers are greatly encouraged by the provision of internet access on airplanes.
Defense, R&D, and Finance Sectors
Li-Fi offers a level of security that is essential for these industries, which is why it is being used more frequently in them.
Schools and Offices
Li-Fi is ideal for locations like universities and office buildings where everyone uses wireless communication constantly because it can deliver high speeds even in high-density areas.
Smart Homes
The internet would be accessible in every nook and cranny of the fully automated smart homes of the future, connecting devices throughout the house and creating an entire ecosystem within the home’s four walls. Future smart homes can help ensure security, connectivity, and ubiquity of accessibility by utilizing Li-Fi.
Retail, factory automation, driverless cars, augmented reality, and other fields are other uses for LI-Fi technology.
