Meaning of lifi (what is it, concept and definition)

What is Lifi:

Lifi is an abbreviation for ' light fidelity ' or ' light fidelity ' which consists of a wireless communication technology transmitted by visible light. The creators specifically use LED bulbs or lamps for their power and efficiency in light transmission.

Lifi and Wifi are both wireless transmission technologies using electromagnetic waves, but they differ in the type of wave they use to transmit data wirelessly. Wifi specifically uses radio waves and Lifi uses light.

The invention of Li-Fi is awarded to Harold Haas, who presented the idea as a guest of TED Global 2011, remaining as a finalist of the World Technology Awards of the same year.

Advantages and disadvantages of Lifi

In the TED presentation, Harold Haas explains how Lifi technology addresses the four essential problems of today's technology:

1. Radio wave capacity is limited and expensive; that of visible light waves is almost unlimited and of almost no cost. The efficiency is low since each cellular transmission antenna or base station needs a lot of energy to cool the same bases to avoid overheating. We currently have 1.4 million antennas. LED light technology is considered one of the most efficient energies. Availability is limited in places such as hospitals or airplanes due to its interference with other devices. Lifi would have a limited availability only to light, since it does not interfere with any device. Security is threatened because the waves literally traverse walls making the information you transmit vulnerable to people who intercept the data. Lifi being limited by light, it would also limit access to data in specific foci.

Therefore, it could be said that Lifi has no apparent disadvantages other than its implementation. Lifi is a technology, as its inventor Harold Haas says, " for a cleaner, greener and brighter future."

How does Lifi work?

In the demonstration of the Lifi prototype that Harold Haas first presented in 2011, a lamp with an LED spotlight and with implanted Lifi signal processing technology pointed at the hole in a table. Inside the hole was a receiver that converted the changes in light amplitude into electrical signals, this receiver was able to transmit HD video without pauses or interruptions.

In order for a device, such as a computer, cell phone, or tablet, to connect using Lifi technology, it would need a light detector. The possibility of using the cameras incorporated in the devices or something that should be implanted is suggested.

Lifi technology is not yet available to the public. PureLiFi , whose co-founder is the inventor of the technology, launched its Li-1st product in early 2014 in limited production. The Lifi technology in Mexico is held by the firm Sisoft since mid-2015.

You may want to read more about:

• WifiInnovationGrids