Member of the Month

KilaTsunami
October, 2024

Online

Welcome to the Newschoolers forums! You may read the forums as a guest, however you must be a registered member to post. Register to become a member today!

Will Li-Fi be the new Wi-Fi?

profile picture
benJAHmin
Posts: 519 - Karma: 20
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg21128225.400-will-lifi-be-the-new-wifi.html

Heard about this in my physics class today, instead of using radio/microwaves, why not free up some of the spectrum and use light to transmit data. It would work absolutely anywhere with light, so airplanes, hospitals and even underwater. Tests show speeds of 500MB/second using just a standard white LED. Pretty crazy stuff if it is practical...
Oct 19 2011 11:29AM
0 0
profile picture
theBearJew
Posts: 10951 - Karma: 15,633
I am intrigued for the future.
Oct 19 2011 11:34AM
0 0
profile picture
1337
Posts: 31053 - Karma: 29,231
sounds sick
Oct 19 2011 11:47AM
0 0
profile picture
Flying~Squirrel
Posts: 6494 - Karma: 192
i dont get it
Oct 19 2011 11:48AM
0 0
profile picture
howlongcanausern
Posts: 4982 - Karma: 1,737
what if you're not in line of sight of the diode? or behind a closed door? it would totally dick your signal
Oct 19 2011 11:55AM
0 0
profile picture
I.B
Posts: 8137 - Karma: 24,351
what about at night?
Oct 19 2011 12:00PM
0 0
profile picture
hoodratz47
Posts: 12020 - Karma: 9,475
yeah..that was my thought

Oct 19 2011 12:00PM
0 0
profile picture
chicken
Posts: 6843 - Karma: 2,123
wouldn't everything interfere with the signal if you used visible light to transmit data?

Turn the lights on and loose your internet connection?

Obviously I am uneducated on this subject...
Oct 19 2011 12:01PM
0 0
profile picture
RICK_ROSS
Posts: 6983 - Karma: 3,343
PORN UNDERWATER!
Oct 19 2011 12:09PM
0 0
profile picture
Joebin
Posts: 1664 - Karma: 867
This is already being used in Fiber Optics

The only problem I can think of is you might need a router in every room if the light wont bounce around walls
Oct 19 2011 12:11PM
0 0
profile picture
MacMahoooon
Posts: 9009 - Karma: 3,305
This isn't totally new.

Sending data from an LED?...thats what fiber optics use to transmit

Sending data through air using light? ...Free space optics have been using lasers to send up to a gig per second distances of miles through air for years

As far as practicality? This will never take off as a consumer product IMO because of the need for line of sight. If you add a second light source into the mix ho would you sync them?
Oct 19 2011 12:15PM
0 0
profile picture
Charlie_Kelly
Posts: 11954 - Karma: 12,297
I was gonna say, I thought fiber optics used light to trasmit data, it just isnt wireless.
Oct 19 2011 12:23PM
0 0
profile picture
eljusto.
Posts: 2163 - Karma: 457
This is exactly what I'm thinking.
Oct 19 2011 12:32PM
0 0
profile picture
Milksteak
Posts: 9948 - Karma: 833
If I'm surfing the web...it's in the dark...what happens then....
Oct 19 2011 12:34PM
0 0
profile picture
skithesprings
Posts: 9086 - Karma: 1,349
this is like going backwards in technology. almost ten years ago the first laptops that my high school had worked on a led system and had to have line of sight to the signal or else they lost it. needless to say, they blew absurd amounts of dick. If you weren't in the room with the signal with no obstructions between you it you lost your signal. THE DUMBEST SHIT EVER
Oct 19 2011 12:42PM
0 0
profile picture
Thick.Black.Gurl
Posts: 492 - Karma: 28
Alaska airlines offers free wi fi on some flights, you happy?
Oct 19 2011 12:54PM
0 0
profile picture
tommyp1ckles
Posts: 1337 - Karma: 55
microwaves and radio are light. and using visible spectrum light would kinda suck since it would youd have to always have the receiver in sight...
Oct 19 2011 1:01PM
0 0
profile picture
BMB
Posts: 3138 - Karma: 232
oh the future
Click for larger image
Oct 19 2011 1:02PM
0 0
profile picture
benJAHmin
Posts: 519 - Karma: 20
Just some more information to answer a few of the questions asked:
The main problem does seem to be the line of sight, however, I think it would be ridiculous to completely scrap this idea without looking for solutions. 1 point is that the light can be so dim that we cannot see even see it which answers browsing in the dark.
Oct 19 2011 2:15PM
0 0
All times are Eastern (-5)