The attached narrated power point presentation mentions the basic applications of Visible Light Communications (VLC). The material will be useful for KTU final year students who prepare for the subject EC 405, Optical Communications.

1. 1
Applications of Visible Light
Communication
MEC

2. 2
Contents
• Introduction
• VLC Applications.
- Use of Li-Fi Technology.
- Vehicle to Vehicle Communications.
- Underwater Communications.
- In Hospitals.
- Information Signboards.
- Visible Light ID System.
- Sound Communication Systems.
- Wireless LANs.

3. 3
VLC Applications
• VLC uses the range of frequencies from
430 THz to 790 THz.
• Inherent features of VLC include high
bandwidth, no health hazard, low power
consumption and non-licensed channels.
• Applications in Li-Fi, vehicle and
underwater communications, visible light
identification systems, wireless LAN,
sound communications etc.

4. 4
Li-Fi
• In 2011, Prof. Harald Haas coined the term
Light Fidelity (Li-Fi).
• A high speed bi-directional fully connected,
visible light wireless communication system
analogous to Wi-Fi.
• Wi-Fi have the problem of interference with
other RF signals, interference with pilot
navigational equipment signals in aircrafts.
• Better solution in areas sensitive to
electromagnetic radiation (such as aircrafts,
hospitals etc.).

5. 5
Li-Fi
• Lends support to the Internet of Things
(IoT).
• LI-Fi speeds up to 10 Gbits/s, 250 times
more than speed of super-fast broadband.
• Can share the load of Wi-Fi.
• More secure than Wi-Fi.

6. 6
Vehicle to Vehicle Communication
• For vehicular communication in the presence
of vehicle lights and the existing traffic light
infrastructure.
• Requires reliable reachability and extremely
low allowable latency in the vehicle safety
communications.
• VLC for cooperative forward collision
warning, pre-crash sensing, emergency
electronic brake lights, lane change warning,
stop sign movement assistant, left turn
assistant, traffic signal violation warning and
curve speed warning.

7. 7
Vehicle to Vehicle Communication
• Outdoor VLC system using Controller Area
Network (CAN) with back lights and
headlights for communication.
• Light fast in air, faster traffic control and
detection of traffic violations.

8. 8
Vehicle to Vehicle Communication

9. 9
Underwater communication
• RF waves do not travel well in sea water
because of its good conductivity, hence
VLC.
• Un Tethered Remotely Operated Vehicle
(UTROV) uses VLC for underwater
communication.
• For observatory maintenance of oceans
and deployment opportunity from the
ships.

10. 10
UTROV
UTROV for low bandwidth underwater communications.
Optical channel to a fixed
infrastructure on sea floor.
Optical channel with a ship
based relay infrastructure.
Low bandwidth underwater
communications.

11. 11
Hospitals
• Radio Interference with hospital
equipments render Wi-Fi unsuitable.
• Electromagnetic wave sensitive areas
(such as MRI scanners) to switch to VLC.
• Robot ‘HOSPI’ used for transportation in
hospitals.
• Control system enhancements in HOSPI
using VLC installed in a building and
navigational sensors of the robot.

12. 12
HOSPI Robot

13. 13
Information Signboards
• Signboards made from LED arrays,
modulated to convey information in
airports, bus stops and other places where
the broadcasting of data is necessary.
• Sign boards used for indications in various
locations such as airports, museums and
hospitals.

14. 14
Visible Light ID System
• As an ID system in places like buildings
and subways.
• Visible light ID system in public places,
hospitals and airports.
• Visible light ID system for identifying the
room number and its building.

15. 15
Sound Communication System
• Red, Green and Blue LEDs used for the
transmission of music signals.

16. 16
Wireless Local Area Networks
(WLANs)
• LED based visible light communication
used in setting up LANs.
• Ultra-high speed full duplex, LAN based on
star topology using LED visible light
communication to provide a speed of more
than 10 Gb/s for massive users.
• Hybrid access protocol used in the LAN,
Time Division Multiplexing (TDM) for
bidirectional VLC transmission, Frequency
Division Multiplexing (FDM) for uplink &
downlink fiber transmission.

17. 17
VLC WLAN Network

18. 18
VLC based WLANs
• Potential to be used in office buildings and
hospitals, which require a high level of
safety.
• Lighting system, white LEDs, infrared light
etc. can be used for downlink/up-link.
• High speed access for massive users.

19. 19
Thank You