With the development of science and technology, Wi-Fi has brought us convenient wireless internet access.But, aside from Wi-fi, there is another fascinating wireless communication technology called Li-Fi.
So, what is Li-Fi?
Li-Fi is a visible light wireless communication, also known as light fidelity technology.
This technology transmits data via the light emitted by light bulbs.
It implants miniature chips into LED bulbs to form a device similar to a Wi-Fi hotspot,
allowing terminal devices to access wireless internet at any time.
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It sounds like magic to access the internet via light, but the basic principles of Li-Fi technology are not complicated.
"0" and "1" are the foundation signals in digital transmission. If "0" is light on and "1" is light off, the signals can be transmitted by turning on and off the light. Therefore, lighting equipment must withstand high-frequency light on and off switching.
The repetition of on and off switching will shorten the life cycles of traditional incandescent lamps.
Yet, LED (light-emitting diodes) can withstand repetition at high frequencies, and the response time is in nanoseconds which provide the technical foundation to fulfill Li-Fi technology.
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Pic courtesy:https://www.lificongress.com/Press-release-93-2.html
The chip inside the LED bulb will make the light flash at a high frequency.
But, don't worry, the human eye cannot notice the on and off of the light.
Only the photosensitive sensors can detect it.Thus, it does not affect the illumination of the LED bulb, making Li-Fi can provide both data transmission and lighting function.
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Although it requires turning on the lights to realize the Li-Fi function to transmit data, the users can turn down the brightness of the lights to the level that the human eyes cannot detect.
As Li-Fi is a technology based on visible light, it cannot penetrate through walls.
But, this feature happens to be an advantage to provide a more private network connection, keeping hackers away.
Therefore, the security of Li-Fi is better than Wi-Fi.
In addition, Li-Fi enables greater bandwidth and higher speeds than Wi-Fi, and its network setup hardly requires any new infrastructure.
It will not be interfered with by radio waves, and it's energy-saving and environmentally friendly.
The potential of Li-Fi is enormous, and it can apply to a wide range of applications, such as indoor wireless networks, wireless sensor networks, intelligent traffic lights, and medical care. For example, Li-Fi can be applied to smart lighting hardware such as ceiling lights. It can also be applied to wearable devices with integrated LEDs to monitor human health parameters in real-time, and transmit data to the Internet synchronously.
In general, Li-Fi realizes a wireless network wherever there is light. It can be used as a complement to Wi-Fi to make wireless data transmission safer, easier, and more efficient.
Reference:
http://big5.xinhuanet.com/gate/big5/www.xinhuanet.com/science/2020-11/16/c_139518700.htm