LEDs (Light Emitting Diode), those small diodes that produce light when an electrical current passes through the semiconductor material of which they are composed and whose invention has changed the history of light, could also serve as a vehicle for the internet of the things, or what is the same, to ensure that all things in the world are connected to each other and also to the internet .
Taking into account that the Internet of Things is presented to us at the forefront of the future of the network with an interconnected world, a team of scientists from the Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (Switzerland) and Disney Research have developed a new network technology that allows LED lights not only to communicate with each other, but also to share information with other objects and with the same internet network .
“Communication with light allows a true Internet of Things, consumer devices equipped with LEDs instead of radio links could be transformed into interactive communication nodes. We are not just talking about sensors, smartphones and gadgets . This includes toys that could easily be equipped with LEDs, creating an Internet of toys ”, clarifies Stefan Mangold, leader of the wireless research group at Disney Research ,
The basis of this new technology is a modified LED bulb to be able to send and receive visible light signals . Thus, they installed a chip system that runs the Linux operating system, a VLC controller module with the protocol software and an additional power supply for the electronics, resulting in led bulbs that send and receive signals through internet protocols. with a throughput of up to 1 kilobit per second .
With this, in addition to lighting our homes, these LED bulbs will have the same efficiency and lifespan as current LED bulbs that, as we know, consume 80% less energy than traditional bulbs , now practically discarded.
The research has been presented at the ACM Workshop on Visible Light Communication Systems in Paris (France).
