SEMINAR REPORT

DEPARTMENT: COMPUTER SCIENCE

SESSION YEAR: 2018-19
BY:-
MOHIT KUMAR
8817205007

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 Disclaimer:
This study paper uses the information as available in public domain or from the web sites of entities
claiming to be in the field of Li-Fi technologies. This information has been presented only to support the
study on the subject and not to promote any company or its products in any manner

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 ABSTRACT
Whether we are using wireless internet in a coffee shop, stealing it from the guy next door, or
competing for bandwidth at a conference, you’ve probably gotten frustrated at the slow speeds you
face when more than one device is tapped into the network. As more and more people and their many
devices access wireless internet, clogged airwaves are going to make it. One German physicist ,DR.
Harald Haas, has come up with a solution he calls ―Data Through Illumination—taking the fiber out of
fiber optics by sending data through an LED light bulb that varies in intensity faster than the human eye
can follow. It’s the same idea behind infrared remote controls, but far more powerful. Haas says his
invention, which he calls D-Light, can produce data rates faster than 10 megabits per second, which is
speedier than your average broadband connection. He envisions a future where data for laptops,
Smartphone’s, and tablets is transmitted through the light in a room.

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 Content
Page No.

1.0 Introduction …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 5

2.0 Architecture of Li-Fi system …………………………………………..………………………………………………………… 6
3.0 Working of Li-Fi …….……………….……………………………...………………………………………………………………… 8
A. How It Works
B. Visible light communication (VLC)
4.0 Comparison between Li-Fi and Wi-Fi ……………………………………………………………………………………… 10
5.0 How it Different …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 11
6.0 Advantages of Li-Fi …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 11
7.0 Limitation of Li-Fi …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 12
8.0 Applications of Li-Fi ……………………………………...…………................................................................ 12
9.0 Future scope ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..….. 17
10.0 Conclusion ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 18
11.0 Abbreviation …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 19
12.0 References …………………………………………………………..…………………………………………………………… 20

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 INTRODUCTION
1) Li-Fi Is A Technology That Uses The Light Emitting Diodes To Transmit The Data Wirelessly.

2) HARALD HAAS, who is considered to be the father of Li-Fi from University of Edinburgh.

3) Li-Fi Is Fast And Cheap Optical Version Of Wi-Fi , Based On Visible Light Communication(VLC).

4) VlC Is A Data Communication Medium, Which Uses The Visible Light Between 400 Thz (780 Nm)
And 800 Thz (375 Nm) As Optical Carrier For Data Transmission.

5) Light is inherently safe and can be used in places where radio frequency communication is often
deemed problematic, such as in aircraft cabins or hospitals. So visible light communication not only
has the potential to Solve the problem of lack of spectrum space, but can also enable novel
application. The visible light spectrum is unused; it's not regulated, and can be used for
communication at very high speeds.

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 ARCHITECTURE OF LI-FI SYSTEM
Li-Fi which can be the future of data communication appears to be a fast and cheap optical

version of Wi-Fi. Being a Visible Light Communication (VLC), Li-Fi uses visible light of

electromagnetic spectrum between 400 THz and 800 THz as optical carrier for data

transmission and illumination. It uses fast pulses of light to transmit information in wireless

medium.

The main components of a basic Li-Fi system may contain the following:

a) A high brightness white LED which acts as transmission source.

b) A silicon photodiode with good response to visible light as the receiving element. Switching the LEDs

on and off can make them generate digital strings with different combination of 1s and 0s. To generate

a new data stream, data can be encoded in the light by varying the flickering rate of the LED. In this way,

the LEDs work as a sender by modulating the light with the data signal. The LED output appears constant

to the human because they are made to flicker at a phenomenal speed (millions of times per second)

and it’s impossible for human eye to detect this frequency. Communication rate more than 100 Mbps

can be achieved by using high speed LEDs with the help of various multiplexing techniques. And this VLC

data rate can be further increased to as high as 10 Gbps via parallel data transmission using an array

of LED lights with each LED transmitting a different data stream.

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 WORKING TECHNOLOGY
A)How It Works:

This brilliant idea was first showcased by Harald Haas from University of Edinburgh, UK, in his TED Global
talk on VLC. He explained,” Very simple, if the LED is on, you transmit a digital 1, if it’s off you transmit a
0. The LEDs can be switched on and off very quickly, which gives nice opportunities for transmitting
data. So what you require at all are some LEDs and a controller that code data into those LEDs. We have
to just vary the rate at which the LED’s flicker depending upon the data we want to encode. Further
enhancements can be made in this method, like using an array of LEDs for parallel data transmission, or
using mixtures of red, green and blue LEDs to alter the light’s frequency with each frequency encoding a
different data channel. Such advancements promise a theoretical speed of 10 Gbps – meaning you can
download a full high-definition film in just 30 seconds. Simply awesome! But blazingly fast data rates
and depleting bandwidths worldwide are not the only reasons that give this technology an upper hand.
Since Li-Fi uses just the light, it can be used safely in aircrafts and hospitals that are prone to
interference from radio waves. This can even work underwater where Wi-Fi fails completely, thereby
throwing open endless opportunities for military operations. Imagine only needing to hover under a
street lamp to get public internet access, or downloading a movie from the lamp on your desk. There's a
new technology on the block which could, quite literally as well as metaphorically, 'throw light on' how
to meet the ever-increasing demand for high-speed wireless connectivity. Radio waves are replaced by

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light waves in a new method of data transmission which is being called Li-Fi. Lightemitting diodes can be
switched on and off faster than the human eye can detect, causing the light source to appear to be on
continuously. A flickering light can be incredibly annoying, but has turned out to have its upside, being
precisely what makes it possible to use light for wireless data transmission. Light-emitting diodes
(commonly referred to as LEDs and found in traffic and street lights, car brake lights, remote control
units and countless other applications) can be switched on and off faster than the human eye can
detect, causing the light source to appear to be on continuously, even though it is in fact 'flickering'. This
invisible on-off activity enables a kind of data transmission using binary codes: switching on an LED is a
logical '1', switching it off is a logical '0'. Information can therefore be encoded in the light by varying the
rate at which the LEDs flicker on and off to give different strings of 1s and 0s. This method of using rapid
pulses of light to transmit information wirelessly is technically referred to as Visible Light
Communication (VLC), though it’s potential to compete with conventional Wi-Fi has inspired the popular
characterization Li-Fi.

B) Visible light communication (VLC):-

“A potential solution to the global wireless spectrum shortage” Li-Fi (Light Fidelity) is a fast and cheap
optical version of Wi-Fi, the technology of which is based on Visible Light Communication (VLC).VLC is a
data communication medium, which uses visible light between 400 THz (780 nm) and 800 THz (375 nm)
as optical carrier for data transmission and illumination. It uses fast pulses of light to transmit
information wirelessly. The main components of this communication system are 1) A high brightness
white LED, Which acts as a communication source and 2) A silicon photodiode which shows good
response to visible wavelength region serving as the receiving element? LED can be switched on and off
to generate digital strings of 1s and 0s. Data can be Encoded in the light to generate a new data stream
by varying the flickering rate of the LED. To be clearer, by modulating the LED light with the data signal,
the LED illumination can be used as a communication source. As the flickering rate is so Fast, the LED
output appears constant to the human eye. A data rate of greater than 100 Mbps is possible by using

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high speed LEDs with appropriate multiplexing techniques. VLC data rate can be increased by parallel
data transmission using LED arrays where each LED transmit a different data stream. There are reasons
to prefer LED as the light source in VLC while a lot of other illumination devices like fluorescent lamp,
incandescent bulb etc. are available.

COMPARISION BETWEEN Li-Fi & Wi-Fi

LI-FI is a term of one used to describe visible light Communication technology applied to high speed
wireless communication. It acquired this name due to the similarity to WI-FI, only using light instead of
radio. WI-FI is great for general wireless coverage within buildings, and Li-Fi is ideal For high density
wireless data coverage in confined area and for relieving radio interference issues, so the two
technologies can be considered complimentary.

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 Comparison of speed of various wireless technologies

Technology Speed
Li-Fi ~1 Gbps
Wi-Fi – IEEE 802.11n IrDA ~150 Mbps
IrDA ~4 Mbps
Bluetooth ~3 Mbps
NFC ~424 Kbps

The table also contains the current wireless technologies that can be used for transferring data
between devices today, i.e. Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and IrDA. Only Wi-Fi currently offers very high data
rates. The IEEE 802.11.n in most implementations provides up to 150Mbit/s (in theory the
standard can go to 600Mbit/s) although in practice you receive considerably less than this.

HOW IT DIFFERENT
Li-Fi technology is based on LEDs for the transfer of data the transfer of the data can be with
the help of all kinds of light, no matter the part of the spectrum that they belong. That is, the
light can belong to the invisible, ultraviolet or the visible part of the spectrum. Also, the speed of
the internet is incredibly high and you can download movies, games, music etc in just a few
minutes with the help of this technology. Also, the technology removes limitations that have
been put on the user by the Wi-Fi. You no more need to be in a region that is Wi-Fi enabled to
have access to the internet. You can simply stand under any form of light and surf the internet
as the connection is made in case of any light presence. There cannot be anything better than
this technology.

Advantages of Li-Fi
Li-Fi, which uses visible light to transmit signals wirelessly, is an emerging technology poised
to compete with Wi-Fi. Also, Li-Fi removes the limitations that have been put on the user by
the Radio wave transmission such as Wi-Fi as explained above vide 4.1. Advantages of Li-Fi
technology include:
a) Efficiency: Energy consumption can be minimised with the use of LED illumination
which are already available in the home, offices and Mall etc. for lighting purpose. Hence
the transmission of data requiring negligible additional power, which makes it very
efficient in terms of costs as well as energy.
b) High speed: Combination of low interference, high bandwidths and high-intensity
output, help Li-Fi provide high data rates i.e. 1 Gbps or even beyond.

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 c) Availability: Availability is not an issue as light sources are present everywhere.
Wherever there is a light source, there can be Internet. Light bulbs are present everywhere
– in homes, offices, shops, malls and even planes, which can be used as a medium for the
data transmission.
d) Cheaper: Li-Fi not only requires fewer components for its working, but also uses only a
negligible additional power for the data transmission.
e) Security: One main advantage of Li-Fi is security. Since light cannot pass through opaque
structures, Li-Fi internet is available only to the users within a confined area and cannot
be intercepted and misused, outside the area under operation.
f) Li-Fi technology has a great scope in future. The extensive growth in the use of LEDs
for illumination indeed provides the opportunity to integrate the technology into a
plethora of environments and applications.

Limitations of Li-Fi
Some of the major limitations of Li-Fi are:
 Internet cannot be accessed without a light source. This could limit the locations and
situations in which Li-Fi could be used.
 It requires a near or perfect line-of-sight to transmit data
 Opaque obstacles on pathways can affect data transmission
 Natural light, sunlight, and normal electric light can affect the data transmission speed
 Light waves don’t penetrate through walls and so Li-Fi has a much shorter range than
Wi-Fi
 High initial installation cost, if used to set up a full-fledged data network.
 Yet to be developed for mass scale adoption.

APPLICATION AREAS
There are numerous applications of Li-Fi technology, from public Internet access through

existing lighting (LED) to auto-piloted cars that communicate through their headlights (LED

based). Applications of Li-Fi can extend in areas where the Wi-Fi technology lacks its presence

like aircrafts and hospitals (operation theatres), power plants and various other areas, where

electromagnetic (Radio) interference is of great concern for safety and security of equipments

and people. Since Li-Fi uses just the light, it can be used safely in such locations or areas. In

future with the Li-Fi enhancement all the street lamps can be transformed to Li-Fi connecting

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points to transfer data. As a result of it, it will be possible to access internet at any public place

and street.

Some of the future applications of Li-Fi could be as follows:

a) Education systems: Li-Fi is the latest technology that can provide fastest speed for

Internet access. So, it can augment/replace Wi-Fi at educational institutions and at

companies so that the people there can make use of Li-Fi with the high speed.

b) Medical Applications: Operation theatres (OTs) do not allow Wi-Fi due to radiation

concerns. Usage of Wi-Fi at hospitals interferes/blocks the signals for monitoring

equipments. So, it may have hazardous effect to the patient's health, due to improper

working of medical apparatus. To overcome this and to make OT tech savvy Li-Fi can

be used to access internet and also to control medical equipments. This will be beneficial

for conducting robotic surgeries and other automated procedures.

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c) Cheaper Internet in Aircrafts: The passengers travelling in aircrafts get access to low

speed Internet that too at a very high price. Also Wi-Fi is not used because it may interfere

with the navigational systems of the pilots. In aircrafts Li-Fi can be used for data

transmission. Li-Fi can easily provide high speed Internet via every light source such as

overhead reading bulb, etc. present inside the airplane.

d) Underwater applications: Underwater ROVs (Remotely Operated Vehicles) operate

from large cables that supply their power and allow them to receive signals from their

pilots above. But the tether used in ROVs is not long enough to allow them to explore

larger areas. If their wires were replaced with light — say from a submerged, high-powered lamp —

then they would be much freer to explore. They could also use their headlamps to communicate with

each other, processing data autonomously and sending their findings periodically back to the surface.

Li-Fi can even work underwater where Wi-Fi fails completely, thereby throwing open endless

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opportunities for military underwater operations.

e) Disaster management: Li-Fi can be used as a powerful means of communication in times

of disaster such as earthquake or hurricanes. The average people may not know the

protocols during such disasters. Subway stations and tunnels, common dead zones for

most emergency communications, pose no obstruction for Li-Fi.

f) Applications in sensitive areas: Power plants need fast, inter-connected data systems so

that demand, grid integrity and core temperature (in case of nuclear power plants) can be

monitored. The Radio communication interference is considered to be bad for such

sensitive areas surrounding these power plants. Li-Fi can offer safe, abundant

connectivity for all areas of these sensitive locations. Also, the pressure on a power plant ‘s own

reserves (power consumption for Radio communications deployments) will be lessened.

g) Traffic management: In traffic signals Li-Fi can be used to communicate with passing

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vehicles (through the LED lights of the cars etc) which can help in managing the traffic

in a better manner resulting into smooth flow of traffic and reduction in accident

numbers. Also, LED car lights can alert drivers when other vehicles are too close.

h) Mobile Connectivity: Mobiles, laptops, tablets, and other smart phones can easily

connect with each other. The short-range network of Li-Fi can yield exceptionally high

data rates and higher security.

i) Replacement for other technologies: Li-Fi doesn‘t work using radio waves. So, it can be

easily used in the places where Bluetooth, infrared, Wi-Fi, etc. are banned.

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 Future Scope
As light is everywhere and free to use, there is a great scope for the use and evolution of Li-Fi
technology. If this technology becomes mature, each Li-Fi bulb can be used to transmit wireless
data. As the Li-Fi technology becomes popular, it will lead to a cleaner, greener, safer
communications and have a bright future and environment. The concept of Li-Fi is deriving
many people as it is free (require no license) and faster means of data transfer. If it evolves
faster, people will use this technology more and more.

Li-Fi Roadmap:

Li-Fi Road map

Currently, LBS (location Based Service) or Broadcast solution are commercially available. The
next step could be a Li-Fi WLAN for B2B market with high added value on specific business
cases and could grow towards mass market. In the long term, the Li-Fi could become an
alternative solution to radio for wireless high data rate room connectivity and new adapted
service, such as augmented or virtual reality.

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 CONCLUSION
Although there’s still a long way to go to make this technology a commercial success, it
promises a great potential in the field of wireless internet. A significant number of researchers
and companies are currently working on this concept, which promises to solve the problem of
lack of radio spectrum, space and low internet connection speed. By deployment of this
technology, we can migrate to greener, cleaner, safer communication networks. The very
concept of Li-Fi promises to solve issues such as, shortage of radio-frequency bandwidth and
eliminates the disadvantages of Radio communication technologies. Li-Fi is the upcoming and
growing technology acting as catalyst for various other developing and new
inventions/technologies. Therefore, there is certainty of development of future applications of
the Li-Fi which can be extended to different platforms and various walks of human life.

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 Abbreviations
Li-Fi: Light Fidelity
TED: Technology, Entertainment & Design
VLC: Visible Light Communication
LED: Light Emitting Diodes
PA: Power Amplifier
RF: Radio Frequency M2M
VLC: Mobile-to-Mobile Visual Light Com
IrDA: Infrared Data Association
NFC: Near Field Communication

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Reference
 www.google.com
 www.wikipedia.com
 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/2795305
85 Li-Fi Technology Data Transmission through
Visible Light
 https://www.academia.edu/24850193/seminar_rep
ort_on_li_fi
 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/2881754
46_Overview_Li-Fi_Technology
 http://tmu.ac.in/college-of-computing-sciences-
and-it/wp-
content/uploads/sites/17/2016/10/CCSIT332.pdf

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