Bulbs That Do More Than Just Lighting

8/19/2019 Bulbs That Do More Than Just Lighting

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Internet Access and Speakers - Bulbs That Do More Than Lighting

Since 2010, LED (light-emitting diode) bulbs have become the more

desirable, cost-effective alternative to traditional incandescent andfluorescent lighting for residential, commercial, and public spaces. Its cost-

saving technology, better light quality, durability, and lower cost of

operations compared to its predecessors have made it a market favorite.

Researchers have begun looking to innovate with those same characteristics

in recent years, but for purposes other than simply lighting a room or

appliance. Who would have thought that LEDs could also be used to transmit

sound or Internet data?

For starters, several companies have come out with a slew of LED speaker-

bulbs and LED light bulbs that also double as speakers. They can be screwed

into traditional light bulb sockets, be they on walls, ceilings, or lamp stands.

These “smart” LED bulbs are outfitted with computer microchips and can be

switched on or off and manipulated via an adaptor or a Bluetooth application

that you can download onto your mobile phone, tablet, or laptop. Some LED

speaker-bulbs offer more than 100 different light colors blinking while the

device is playing music. However, the real beauty of this innovation stems

from the practicality of offering music or other data without using up more

energy other than what is already being expended by the bulb.

On a complementary but grander scale perhaps, the innovation spotlight is

shining on LiFi for Internet connectivity, which has the potential to

complement, if not altogether replace, WiFi in coming years. LiFi technology

uses LED bulbs (i.e., visible light) to transmit data imperceptibly via bi-

directional wireless networking. These bulbs are fitted with a computer

microchip that enables light modulation for data transmission.

Photoreceptors then receive the LiFi data. Thus, you can theoretically receive

Internet data just by being within direct line of sight of any LED beam, from

your bedside desk lamp to your front porch lighting and even your car’sheadlights.

There are clear advantages of LiFi over WiFi. Take a look at the following:


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1. LiFi has the potential to transmit Internet data at higher speeds than

WiFi, which uses radio frequencies for wireless data transmission. Currently,

lab experiments show that strong LEDs have enabled from 5-Mbps

(megabits-per-second) up to 10-Gbps (gigabits-per-second) Internet data

transmission.

2. Because LiFi technology only works with visible LED light, the data

transmission is more secure – as any interception would require blocking the

line of sight within the room.

3. This same optical technology prevents the possibility of piggybacking, or

using another’s unsecured WiFi network unauthorized, by getting within

range of that WiFi’s hotspot signal and connecting to the Internet there.

4. Whereas WiFi’s radio frequency technology can be impeded by radio

interference, LiFi’s technology doesn’t have that problem – and this may

have positive implications for data transmission in locations with sensitive

electronics, like airplanes and hospitals.

5. Because LiFi only needs existing, microchip-outfitted lighting fixtures,

Internet data can be transmitted in a controlled but potentially expansive

range within a given location. In contrast, the coverage of a single WiFi

router is more limited.

On the flip side, LiFi’s redeeming characteristics also present some

drawbacks. For one, while WiFi’s radio waves can travel through walls and

floors, LiFi’s requisite, narrowly-focused light beams obviously cannot

(unless those walls and floors are made of clear glass). Thus, while LED light

beams facilitate the creation of separate downlink and uplink channels –

which redound to better cyber security – traditional building design

structures with opaque walls and floors create an obstacle to the maximal

usage of LiFi in a secured setting.

All things considered, the positive potential for LiFi application from regular

households to more security-sensitive locales (government offices, financialinstitutions, hospitals, aircraft, and so forth) seems endless. Aside from

secure uplink and downlink channels, customized LiFi content can also be

transmitted to specified locales, so you know exactly who receives which

data and where – even if these people are all in the same room.


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Furthermore, LiFi’s far-reaching potential is impressive. There are studies on

how LiFi technology can save airline companies considerable money, have

more seating design flexibility, and eliminate the usage of heavy cables and

copper wiring for Internet connectivity on their planes. It stands to reason

that this same cost- and weight-saving technology can be applied tospacecraft.

Finally, LiFi technology bodes to be a future problem solver, with light

technology circumventing the problem of ever-increasing radio frequency

interference from billions of wireless devices on the planet foreseen within

the coming decade. As LED innovations continue, the possibilities and

advantages we can glean from a simple light bulb seem limitless.

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Bulbs That Do More Than Just Lighting