Lifi : Web Connection Thru LED Instead of Wifi?

[FaiKee]

Actually it's not a new thing, concept first started by Herald Haas on his development of VLC (Visible Light Communications).

 

However, Fudan University, Shanghai claimed that they had made a break through, and will give a demo in  China International Industry Fair 2013, Shanghai next month, but don't expect you could enjoy it too soon, "still a long way to go" according to the university.

 

http://news.chinatimes.com/mainland/11050501/112013101700170.html

 

[neufuse Veteran]

light internet...... we have that, it's called fiber optic :rofl:  

[statm1]

light internet...... we have that, it's called fiber optic :rofl:  

 LEDs != Glass fibers

[chrisj1968]

make something that already exists, slap a new coat of paint on it and call it new? no way!

[The_Decryptor Veteran]

LEDs != Glass fibers

Yeah, "freespace" optical links are slower and less useful than fibre optic internet.

[neufuse Veteran]

 LEDs != Glass fibers

good gawd it was a joke on the "light internet" headline... hence the upside down face... you know... like "why even try" we already have wifi, we already have fiber optical links that use LED or Lasers depending on the quality of the system... this is just a solution to a non-problem.... heck we had wide open optical networks in the late 90's... they failed and we went to wifi.. I remember a local school putting one of them in classrooms for their one laptop per child program... it was horrible. wifi solved all the issues they had..

 

all you really get is a slight bit more security in the sense you limit the access to things in view of the transceiver..

[Yochanan]

Thanks for the interesting read, FaiKee. By the previous comments, apparently I'm the only one that actually bothered to read and comprehend what was posted. How it will be implemented remains to be seen (pun intended), but it could likely change interspecies communication as we know it. Forget NFC (Near Field Communication), how about WFC (Wide Field Communication)?

[Crisp]

China achieves wireless Internet access via lightbulbs

 

Summary: Using technology dubbed Li-Fi, scientists have pulled off getting online four computers under a one-watt LED lightbulb, which could eventually be a more cost-effective alternative to Wi-Fi in the country.

 

Chinese scientists have made headway with successful experiments using Li-Fi technology, where wireless signals are sent by lightbulbs, according to Xinhua News.

 

Four computers under a one-watt LED lightbulb may connect to the Internet under the principle that light can be used as a carrier instead of traditional radio frequencies, said Chi Nan, an IT professor at Shanghai's Fudan University.

She explained a lightbulb with embedded microchips can produce data rates as fast as 150 Mbps, much higher than the average broadband connection in China.

Current wireless signal transmission equipment is expensive and low in efficiency, noted Chi in the article. "As for cell phones, millions of base stations have been established around the world to strengthen the signal but most of the energy is consumed on their cooling systems," she explained, but noted the energy utilization rate was only 5 percent."

 

However, Chi noted there was still a long way to go in making Li-Fi commercially successful. "If the light is blocked, then the signal will be cut off," she explained. The professor added the development of key related technologies were still in the experimental phase, such as light communication controls, microchip design and manufacturing.

 

Source and more

[Bi4me]

Now that would be a pretty nice replacement of the antennas.

[AJerman]

I remember this being talked about a year or two ago. Interesting to see them doing something about it even if it seems like just something to do because they can. Can't see much point in anything like this. They claim current wireless technology is expensive, though I can't see how that's true, even if this COULD be cheaper (which R&D costs would prohibit for at least a good period of time). Not to mention you'd still have to have a radio backup for anytime you can't get a light signal. I can only really see it being feasible in situations where equipment stays in a fixed location, at which point wired would be far faster and cheaper. Perhaps other uses like more advanced remotes would be more useful than standard wireless networking.

 

Regardless, it's a pretty cool proof of concept. We'll see if they can find a good use for it in time!

[DocM]

A big brother / security nightmare though. Seems you could conceivably tap into anyone on your trunk line / substation.

[Marshall Veteran]

Topics Merged

[riahc3]

Hello,

Forget NFC (Near Field Communication), how about WFC (Wide Field Communication)?

A big brother / security nightmare though. Seems you could conceivably tap into anyone on your trunk line / substation.

Thank you DocM.