Visible Light Communications (VLC)

In VLC systems, transmitters are based on a common LED used for lighting and receivers on commercial photodiodes. Low cost and wide availability of visible LEDs ensure the implementation easiness of these systems in every environment, either indoor or outdoor. Unlike radio waves, light is not affected by interference phenomena with common wireless technologies, water attenuation and legal restriction on frequencies availability. These physical differences play a key role in the development of novel applications that are not feasible nowadays, such as: wireless networks confined in specific unshielded rooms; wireless access points limited to small areas in an open environment; transmissions immune to high radiation od electro-magnetic fields; and wireless high-speed underwater communications.

Carefully picking the design parameters VLC systems can be optimized to maximize range, bitrate or coverage, implementing point-to-point, point-to-multipoint or shared bus topology. This flexibility enables a wide portfolio of applications, as a function of the operative environment and scenario.

High-Performance Optical Wireless Communication (HP-OWC)

High Performance OWC (HP-OWC) systems employ laser transmitters and photodiode receivers, transmitting at high bitrates (Gbit/s and beyond) and/or great distances, in point-to-point topology. Leveraging ad-hoc optical elements, HP-OWC systems reach performance similar to those achievable with optical fibers. The ability to realize long-reach secure communications makes this technology a sound candidate for point-to-point communications in those scenarios in which optical fiber can not be used or too expensive, as in space or underwater communications.

Optical Camera Communication (OCC)

In the Optical Camera Communication (OCC), a visible light source (e.g. a LED or a screen) is used as a transmitter, while a digital camera based on a CMOS sensor is used as receiver. This technology is disruptive: with no need for hardware modification, can be integrated directly on board on mobile devices that can shoot and process pictures, as in smartphones and tablets, simply using sensors, optics and analytical processes on board or remotely.

Commonly, the maximum bitrate achievable with a single light source is in the order for kbit/s. However, a single sensor can catch signals coming from different sources and on different wavelengths at the same time, allowing multipoint-to-point transmissions and many other functions. Hence, leveraging the lighting infrastructure, lights becomes more than an utility, an integrate smart service: in the Light-as-a-Service (LaaS), light becomes a flexible tool that can supply to different needs of specific locations. For example, a light source can transmit contextual information, as in a museum or a supermarket, can give directions or safety instructions, while still being part of the lighting infrastructure.