Preface

I have made this report file on the topic Li-Fi Technology; I have tried my best to collect all
the relevant detail to the topic to be included in the report. While in the beginning I have tried to
give a general view about this topic.
My efforts and wholehearted co-corporation of each and every one has ended on a successful
note. I express my sincere gratitude to who assisting me throughout the preparation of this
topic. I thank him for providing me the reinforcement, confidence and most importantly the
track

Acknowledgement
I would like to thank respected Er. Manvendra and Er. Prinu C. Phillip for giving me such a
wonderful opportunity to expand my knowledge for my own branch and giving me guidelines
to present a seminar report. It helped me a lot to realize of what we study for.
Secondly, I would like to thank my parents who patiently helped me as i went through my work
and helped to modify and eliminate some of the irrelevant or un-necessary stuffs.
Thirdly, I would like to thank my friends who helped me to make my work more organized and
well-stacked till the end.
Next, I would thank Microsoft for developing such a wonderful tool like MS Word. It helped
my work a lot to remain error-free.

Last but clearly not the least; I would thank The Almighty for giving me strength to complete
my report on time.

Abstract of Li-Fi Technology

Whether youre using wireless internet in a coffee shop, stealing it from the guy next door, or
competing for bandwidth at a conference, youve 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 increasingly
difficult to latch onto a reliable signal.
But radio waves are just one part of the spectrum that can carry our data. What if we could use
other waves to surf the internet? One German physicist, DR. Harald Haas, has come up with a
solution he calls Data Through Illuminationtaking 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. Its
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, smart phones, and tablets is transmitted through the light in a
room. And security would be a snapif you cant see the light, you cant access the data.
Li-Fi is a VLC, visible light communication, technology developed by a team of scientists
including Dr Gordon Povey, Prof. Harald Haas and Dr Mostafa Afghani at the University of
Edinburgh. The term Li-Fi was coined by Prof. Haas when he amazed people by streaming highdefinition video from a standard LED lamp, at TED Global in July 2011. Li-Fi is now part of the
Visible Light Communications (VLC) PAN IEEE 802.15.7 standard.
Li-Fi is typically implemented using white LED light bulbs. These devices are normally
used for illumination by applying a constant current through the LED. However, by fast and
subtle variations of the current, the optical output can be made to vary at extremely high
speeds. Unseen by the human eye, this variation is used to carry high-speed data, says Dr
Povey, Product Manager of the University of Edinburgh's Li-Fi Program D-Light Project.

Introduction
In simple terms, Li-Fi can be thought of as a light-based Wi-Fi. That is, it uses light instead of
radio waves to transmit information. And instead of Wi-Fi modems, Li-Fi would use transceiverfitted LED lamps that can light a room as well as transmit and receive information. Since simple
light bulbs are used, there can technically be any number of access points.
This technology uses a part of the electromagnetic spectrum that is still not greatly utilized- The
Visible Spectrum. Light is in fact very much part of our lives for millions and millions of years
and does not have any major ill effect. Moreover there is 10,000 times more space available in
this spectrum and just counting on the bulbs in use, it also multiplies to 10,000 times more
availability as an infrastructure, globally.
It is possible to encode data in the light by varying the rate at which the LEDs flicker on and off
to give different strings of 1s and 0s. The LED intensity is modulated so rapidly that human eyes
cannot notice, so the output appears constant.
More sophisticated techniques could dramatically increase VLC data rates. Teams at the
University of Oxford and the University of Edinburgh are focusing on parallel data transmission
using arrays of LEDs, where each LED transmits a different data stream. Other groups are using
mixtures of red, green and blue LEDs to alter the light's frequency, with each frequency
encoding a different data channel.
Li-Fi, as it has been dubbed, has already achieved blisteringly high speeds in the lab. Researchers
at the Heinrich Hertz Institute in Berlin, Germany, have reached data rates of over 500
megabytes per second using a standard white-light LED. Haas has set up a spin-off firm to sell a
consumer VLC transmitter that is due for launch next year. It is capable of transmitting data at
100 MB/s - faster than most UK broadband connections.

This OWC technology uses light from light-emitting diodes (LEDs) as a medium to deliver
networked, mobile, high-speed communication in a similar manner to Wi-Fi. The Li-Fi market is
projected to have a compound annual growth rate of 82% from 2013 to 2018 and to be worth over
$6 billion per year by 2018.
Visible light communications (VLC) works by switching the current to the LEDs off and on at a
very high rate, too quick to be noticed by the human eye. Although Li-Fi LEDs would have to be
kept on to transmit data, they could be dimmed to below human visibility while still emitting
enough light to carry data. The light waves cannot penetrate walls which makes a much shorter
range, though more secure from hacking, relative to Wi-Fi. Direct line of sight is not necessary for
Li-Fi to transmit a signal; light reflected off the walls can achieve 70 Mbit/s.

Li-Fi has the advantage of being useful in electromagnetic sensitive areas such as in aircraft
cabins, hospitals and nuclear power plants without causing electromagnetic interference. Both WiFi and Li-Fi transmit data over the electromagnetic spectrum, but whereas Wi-Fi utilizes radio
waves, Li-Fi uses visible light.

History

Harald Haas, who teaches at the University of Edinburgh in the UK, coined the term "Li-Fi" at his
TED Global Talk where he introduced the idea of "Wireless data from every light". He is Chair of
Mobile Communications at the University of Edinburgh and co-founder of pure Li-Fi.
The general term visible light communication (VLC), whose history dates back to the 1880s,
includes any use of the visible light portion of the electromagnetic spectrum to transmit information.
The D-Light project at Edinburgh's Institute for Digital Communications was funded from January
2010 to January 2012. Haas promoted this technology in his 2011 TED Global talk and helped start
a company to market it. Pure Li-Fi, formerly pure VLC, is an original equipment manufacturer
(OEM) firm set up to commercialize Li-Fi products for integration with existing LED-lighting
systems.
In October 2011, companies and industry groups formed the Li-Fi Consortium, to promote highspeed optical wireless systems and to overcome the limited amount of radio-based wireless spectrum
available by exploiting a completely different part of the electromagnetic spectrum.
A number of companies offer uni-directional VLC products, which is not the same as Li-Fi - a term
defined by the IEEE 802.15.7r1 standardization committee.
VLC technology was exhibited in 2012 using Li-Fi. Gust 2013, data rates of over 1.6 Gbit/s were
demonstrated over a single color LED. In September 2013, a press release said that Li-Fi, or VLC
systems in general, do not require line-of-sight conditions. In October 2013, it was reported Chinese
manufacturers were working on Li-Fi development kits.
In April 2014, the Russian company Stins Coman announced the development of a Li-Fi wireless
local network called Beam Caster. Their current module transfers data at 1.25 gigabytes per second
but they foresee boosting speeds up to 5 GB/second in the near future. In 2014 a new record was
established by Sisoft (a Mexican company) that was able to transfer data at speeds of up to 10 Gbit/s
across a light spectrum emitted by LED lamps.

Genesis of LI-FI
Harald Haas, a professor at the University of Edinburgh who began his research in the field in
2004, gave a debut demonstration of what he called a Li-Fi prototype at the TED Global
conference in Edinburgh on 12th July 2011. He used a table lamp with an LED bulb to transmit a
video of blooming flowers that was then projected onto a screen behind him.
During the event he periodically blocked the light from lamp to prove that the lamp was indeed
the source of incoming data. At TED Global, Haas demonstrated a data rate of transmission of
around 10Mbps -- comparable to a fairly good UK broadband connection. Two months later he
achieved 123Mbps.

Standards

Like Wi-Fi, Li-Fi is wireless and uses similar 802.11 protocols; but it uses visible light
communication (instead of radio frequency waves), which has much wider bandwidth.
One part of VLC is modelled after communication protocols established by the IEEE 802
workgroup. However, the IEEE 802.15.7 standard is out-of-date, it fails to consider the latest
technological developments in the field of optical wireless communications, specifically with the
introduction of optical orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (O-OFDM) modulation methods
which have been optimized for data rates, multiple-access and energy efficiency. The introduction of
O-OFDM means that a new drive for standardization of optical wireless communications is required.
Nonetheless, the IEEE 802.15.7 standard defines the physical layer (PHY) and media access
control (MAC) layer. The standard is able to deliver enough data rates to transmit audio, video and
multimedia services. It takes into account optical transmission mobility, its compatibility with
artificial lighting present in infrastructures, and the interference which may be generated by ambient
lighting. The MAC layer permits using the link with the other layers as with the TCP/IP protocol.
The standard defines three PHY layers with different rates:

The PHY I was established for outdoor application and works from 11.67 kbit/s to 267.6 kbit/s.

The PHY II layer permits reaching data rates from 1.25 Mbit/s to 96 Mbit/s.

The PHY III is used for many emissions sources with a particular modulation method called color
shift keying (CSK). PHY III can deliver rates from 12 Mbit/s to 96 Mbit/s.
The modulation formats recognized for PHY I and PHY II are on-off keying (OOK) and
variable pulse position modulation (VPPM). The Manchester coding used for the PHY I and PHY II
layers includes the clock inside the transmitted data by representing a logic 0 with an OOK symbol
"01" and a logic 1 with an OOK symbol "10", all with a DC component. The DC component avoids
light extinction in case of an extended run of logic 0's.
The first VLC smartphone prototype was presented at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas
from January 710 in 2014. The phone uses Sun Partner's WY sips CONNECT, a technique that
converts light waves into usable energy, making the phone capable of receiving and decoding signals
without drawing on its battery. A clear thin layer of crystal glass can be added to small screens like
watches and smartphones that make them solar powered. Smartphones could gain 15% more battery
life during a typical day. This first smartphones using this technology should arrive in 2015. This
screen can also receive VLC signals as well as the smartphone camera. The cost of these screens per
smartphone is between $2 and $3, much cheaper than most new technology.
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Philips lighting company has developed a VLC system for shoppers at stores. They have to
download an app on their smartphone and then their smartphone works with the LEDs in the store.
The LEDs can pinpoint where they are located in the store and give them corresponding coupons
and information based on which aisle they are on and what they are looking at.

How Li-Fi Works?

Li-Fi is typically implemented using white LED light bulbs at the downlink transmitter. These
devices are normally used for illumination only by applying a constant current. However, by fast
and subtle variations of the current, the optical output can be made to vary at extremely high
speeds.
This very property of optical current is used in Li-Fi setup. The operational procedure is very
simple-, if the LED is on, you transmit a digital 1, if its off you transmit a 0. The LEDs can be
switched on and off very quickly, which gives nice opportunities for transmitting data. Hence all
that is required is some LEDs and a controller that code data into those LEDs. All one has to do
is to vary the rate at which the LEDs 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 lights frequency with
each frequency encoding a different data channel. Such advancements promise a theoretical
speed of 10 Gbps meaning one can download a full high-definition film in just 30 seconds.
Li-Fi and Wi-Fi are quite similar as both transmit data electromagnetically. However, Wi-Fi uses
radio waves while Li-Fi runs on visible light.
As we now know, Li-Fi is a Visible Light Communications (VLC) system. This means that it
accommodates a photo-detector to receive light signals and a signal processing element to convert
the data into 'stream-able' content.
An LED light bulb is a semi-conductor light source meaning that the constant current of electricity
supplied to an LED light bulb can be dipped and dimmed, up and down at extremely high speeds,
without being visible to the human eye.
For example, data is fed into an LED light bulb (with signal processing technology), it then sends
data (embedded in its beam) at rapid speeds to the photo-detector (photodiode).
The tiny changes in the rapid dimming of LED bulbs is then converted by the 'receiver' into
electrical signal.
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The signal is then converted back into a binary data stream that we would recognise as web, video
and audio applications that run on internet enables devices.

The future internet

Li-Fi technology will in future enable faster, more reliable internet connections, even when the
demand for data usage has outgrown the available supply from existing technologies such as 4G,
LTE and Wi-Fi. It will not replace these technologies, but will work seamlessly alongside them.
Using light to deliver wireless internet will also allow connectivity in environments that do not
currently readily support Wi-Fi, such as aircraft cabins, hospitals and hazardous environments.
Light is already used for data transmission in fibre-optic cables and for point to point links, but Li-Fi
is a special and novel combination of technologies that allow it to be universally adopted for mobile
ultra-high speed internet communications.

A dual use for LED lighting

The wide use of solid state lighting offers an opportunity for efficient dual use lighting and
communication systems. Innovation in LED and photon receiver technology has ensured the
availability of suitable light transmitters and detectors, while advances in the modulation of
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communication signals for these types of components has been advanced through signal processing
techniques, such as multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO), to become as sophisticated as those
used in mobile telecommunications.

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To further get a grasp of Li-Fi consider an IR remote. It sends a single data stream of bits at the
rate of 10,000-20,000 bps. Now replace the IR LED with a Light Box containing a large LED
array. This system, fig 3.4, is capable of sending thousands of such streams at very fast rate.
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.

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Li-fi vs Wi-Fi
While some may think that Li-Fi with its 224 gigabits per second leaves Wi-Fi in the dust, Li-Fi's
exclusive use of visible light could halt a mass uptake.
Li-Fi signals cannot pass through walls, so in order to enjoy full connectivity, capable LED bulbs
will need to be placed throughout the home. Not to mention, Li-Fi requires the light bulb is on at all
times to provide connectivity, meaning that the lights will need to be on during the day.
What's more, where there is a lack of light bulbs, there is a lack of Li-Fi internet so Li-Fi does take a
hit when it comes to public Wi-Fi networks.

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In an announcement yesterday, an extension of standard Wi-Fi is coming and it's called Wi-Fi
HaLow.
This new project claims to double the range of connectivity while using less power. Due to this, WiFi HaLow is reportedly perfect for battery powered devices such as smart watches, smartphones and
lends itself to Internet of Things devices such as sensors and smart applications.
But it's not all doom and gloom! Due to its impressive speeds, Li-Fi could make a huge impact on
the internet of things too, with data transferred at much higher levels with even more devices able to
connect to one another.
What's more, due to its shorter range, Li-Fi is more secure than Wi-Fi and it's reported that
embedded light beams reflected off a surface could still achieve 70 megabits per second.

Application of Li-Fi Technology

You Might Just Live Longer
You Might Just Live Longer For a long time, medical technology has lagged behind the rest of
the wireless world. Operating rooms do not allow Wi-Fi over radiation concerns, and there is
also that whole lack of dedicated spectrum. While Wi-Fi is in place in many hospitals,
interference from cell phones and computers can block signals from monitoring equipment.

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Li-Fi solves both problems: lights are not only allowed in operating rooms, but tend to be the
most glaring (pun intended) fixtures in the room. And, as Haas mentions in his TED Talk, Li-Fi
has 10,000 times the spectrum of Wi-Fi, so maybe we can, I dunno, delegate red light to priority
medical data. Code Red!
Airlines
Airline Wi-Fi. Ugh. Nothing says captive audience like having to pay for the "service" of dialup
speed Wi-Fi on the plane. And dont get me started on the pricing.
The best Ive heard so far is that passengers will "soon" be offered a "high-speed like"
connection on some airlines. United is planning on speeds as high as 9.8 Mbps per plane.
Uh, I have twice that capacity in my living room. And at the same price as checking a bag, I
expect it. Li-Fi could easily introduce that sort of speed to each seat's reading light. Ill be
the guy WoWing next to you. Its better than listening to you tell me about your wildly
successful son, maam.
Smarter Power Plants
Wi-Fi and many other radiation types are bad for sensitive areas. Like those surrounding power
plants. But power plants need fast, inter-connected data systems to monitor things like demand,
grid integrity and (in nuclear plants) core temperature. The savings from proper monitoring at a
single power plant can add up to hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Li-Fi could offer safe, abundant connectivity for all areas of these sensitive locations. Not only
would this save money related to currently implemented solutions, but the draw on a power
plants own reserves could be lessened if they havent yet converted to LED lighting.

Undersea Awesomeness
Underwater ROVs, those favorite toys of treasure seekers and James Cameron, operate from
large cables that supply their power and allow them to receive signals from their pilots above.
ROVs work great, except when the tether isnt long enough to explore an area, or when it gets
stuck.
If their wires were cut and 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
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with each other, processing data autonomously and referring findings periodically back to the
surface, all the while obtaining their next batch of orders.
It Could Keep You Informed and Save Lives
Say theres an earthquake in New York. Or a hurricane. Take your pick its a wacky city. The
average New Yorker may not know what the protocols are for those kinds of disasters. Until they
pass under a street light, that is.
Remember, with Li-Fi, if theres light, youre online. Subway stations and tunnels, common dead
zones for most emergency communications, pose no obstruction. Plus, in times less stressing
cities could opt to provide cheap high speed Web access to every street corner.

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The future of Li-Fi

In November last year, Li-Fi pioneers pure Li-Fi joined forces with French lighting company
Lucibel aiming to bring out Li-Fi enables products, later this year.
Pure Li-Fi already have two products on the market: Li-Flame Ceiling Unit to connect to an LED
light fixture and Li-Flame Desktop Unit which connects to a device via USB, both aiming to provide
light and connectivity in one device.
Plus, with faster connectivity and data transmission its an interesting space for businesses. The
integration of internet of things devices and Li-Fi will provide a wealth of opportunities for retailers
and other businesses alike. For example, shop owners could transmit data to multiple customers'
phones quickly, securely and remotely.
What's more, reports suggest that Apple may build future iPhones with Li-Fi capabilities. A Twitter
user found that within its iOS 9.1 code there were references to Li-Fi written as 'Li-Fi Capability'
hinting that Apple may integrate Li-fi with iPhones in the future.
Whether or not Li-Fi will live up to its hype is yet to be decided.

How it is 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
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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.

Uses in Various Areas

Can be used in the places where it is difficult to lay the optical fiber like hospitals. In operation
theatre Li-Fi can be used for modern medical instruments. In traffic signals Li--Fi can be used
which will communicate with the LED lights of the cars and accident numbers can be decreased.
Thousand and millions of street lamps can be transferred to Li-Fi lamps to transfer data. In
aircraft Li-Fi can be used for data transmission. It can be used in petroleum or chemical plants
where other transmission or frequencies could be hazardous.

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An integrated communication solution

Li-Fi technology is being developed into a ubiquitous systems technology, consisting of
application specific combinations of light transmitters, light receivers including solar cells,
efficient computational algorithms and networking capabilities that can be deployed in a
wide range of communication scenarios and in a variety of device platforms
Li-fi 5g
Picture this-you wake up and tap your smartphone to switch on your coffee machine. As you make
breakfast, your refrigerator sends you a text that youre out of orange juice. Clued in with this
message, your cars GPS routes you to the grocery shop on your way back from work, as you use
your phone to switch on your home heating system, so things are toasty warm when you get back.
At the forefront of this connectivity phenomenon popularly known as the 'Internet of Things', is an
optical communication technology thats taking the world by storm. Light Fidelity or Li-Fi, is an
exciting breakthrough in 5G visual light communication systems and the future of wireless Internet
access.
With Li-Fi, information hitches a ride along a spectrum of visible light. Light-emitting diode
(LED) bulbs, transmit data when they are switched on and off so rapidly in nanoseconds, that the
human eye cannot see it. This data is registered by special equipment, making it possible to provide
wireless Internet connectivity at a current experimental speed up to 10 Gbps, which is estimated to
be 250 times faster than 'superfast' broadband. The vast availability of LED light bulbs will drive
the future ubiquity of connectivity even in places where Wi-Fi fails-on an airplane and in
submarines, for example.
Another advantage of Li-Fi is zero electromagnetic interference, allowing connectivity even in
areas where Wi-Fi isnt accepted - hospitals and nuclear plants among others. In addition, Li-Fi
offers better data defence as light waves cant pass through walls, making it impossible to hack any
internal systems in high-security buildings.
As radio waves used by Wi-Fi get more congested and the demand for faster and more efficient
wireless communication escalates, the future is bright for Li-Fi as a reliable, affordable and more
secure solution.
Harold Haas from the University of Edinburgh, who first demonstrated Li-Fi to the world,
envisioned turning light bulbs into super-speed broadband wireless Internet systems. As Li-Fi
becomes more commercialized, it will usher in an era of incredible business opportunities, such as
allowing telecom service providers to reach out to a wider customer base. We can look forward to
broader accessibility with Li-Fi Cloud. Smartphones will soon be able to download traffic
information from traffic lights or a program guide from a television. This is the tip of the iceberg.
In the future, shops will transmit advertisements to your phone as you pass by and bus schedule
changes will be transmitted to a screen at the stop.
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Advantages of LI-FI

Li-Fi can solve problems related to the insufficiency of radio frequency bandwidth because this
technology uses Visible light spectrum that has still not been greatly utilized.

High data transmission rates of up to 10Gbps can be achieved.

since light cannot penetrate walls, it provides privacy and security that Wi-Fi cannot.

Li-Fi has low implementation and maintenance costs.

It is safe for humans since light, unlike radio frequencies, cannot penetrate human body.
Hence, concerns of cell mutation are mitigated.

Disadvantage of LI-FI

Light can't pass through objects.

A major challenge facing Li-Fi is how the receiving device will transmit back to
transmitter

High installation cost of the VLC systems.

Interferences from external light sources like sun, light, normal bulbs, opaque materials.

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Conclusion
The possibilities are numerous and can be explored further. If his technology can be put into
practical use, every bulb can be used something like a Wi-Fi hotspot to transmit wireless data
and we will proceed toward the cleaner, greener, safer and brighter future.
The concept of Li-Fi is currently attracting a great deal of interest, not least because it may offer a
genuine and very efficient alternative to radio-based wireless. As a growing number of people and
their many devices access wireless internet, the airwaves are becoming increasingly clogged,
making it more and more difficult to get a reliable, high-speed signal.
This may solve issues such as the shortage of radio-frequency bandwidth and also allow internet
where traditional radio based wireless isnt allowed such as aircraft or hospitals. One of the
shortcomings however is that it only work in direct line of sight.

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