OCT 09

LEDs are a fantastic technology. They are more efficient and less polluting than compact fluorescent light bulbs, and come with a host of other advantages. But one advantage that is certainly new to us is the possibility of using them to transmit data.Or at least, so says the Smart Lighting research team at Boston University.

Because LEDs can cycle on and off millions of times per second, they can, in effect, become wireless routers for information transport. So, as long as your device is in a well-lit area of the office, it will automatically have high-speed internet streaming into it.

The advantages are fairly obvious...no need for a separate router consuming extra energy. The LED bulbs would actually consume less energy (by cycling off a portion of the time) and the quality of the light would not change perceptibly.

Of course, the disadvantages are also pretty obvious...the biggest one being shadows. Unlike RF transmission, light can't transmit through walls..or even sheets of paper. So you would always have to make certain that you were in a well-lit area when working. This also means that the lights would always have to be on...fine for large buildings, but not necessary in offices with large windows.

Via GoodCleanTech

Comments (7)

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LED Lights for the Home
written by Rob, October 10, 2008

So Hank, is LED lighting for my home affordable yet?

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written by Clinch, October 10, 2008

I'm not Hank, but I'll answer your question anyway, and the answer is "depends what you mean by affordable", and in my opinion, they are.
And if you take in to account their lifetime compaired to other bulbs, they work out cheaper than both incandescents and CFLs.

As for replacing wireless routers with LED bulbs, I can't see it being effective, and you would still be the issue of receiving outgoing data (as LED lights can't act as receivers, only transmitters [or can then? {no they can't}]).

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Yes led can act as receivers !
written by Martoni, October 10, 2008

«As for replacing wireless routers with LED bulbs, I can't see it being effective, and you would still be the issue of receiving outgoing data (as LED lights can't act as receivers, only transmitters [or can then? {no they can't}]).»

Yes led can act as receiver. According to this paper, a simple LED can be a light sensor if used in reverse mode.

I tested it with a simple red-led branched on FPGA and that work - not well but, that work -.

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Funny
written by Kyle, October 12, 2008

You're in my net, Ted.

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Question
written by NJCynic, October 12, 2008

It is my understanding that LED lites lose efficiency over time (they grow dimmer). I know this is the case with battery operated LEDs, but is it also true with home current? And if so, what is the actual, peak lifetime of a $150 LED bulb?

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Answer
written by Clinch, October 14, 2008

As far as I'm aware, the lifetime they quote for LEDs (should be on the packet or something) is what you refer to as the "peak lifetime", with the actual lifetime being longer but with the brightness falling below acceptable levels.

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written by Michelle, January 09, 2009

I bought LED lights to replace my halogen MR16 bulbs the other day from a website called LEDinsider.com that I would recommend enthusiastically. They had good service (good phone and email support), great FAQs so I knew what I needed, and competitive prices; also, their shipping was fast and the LEDs were as good as advertised. www.LEDInsider.com. Highly recommended.

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