VLNComm Launches World’s First Li-Fi Lighting Panel

February 15, 2018

At CES 2018 in Las Vegas, a U.S. firm focusing on the development of bi-directional LiFi introduced and successfully demonstrated a lighting panel capable of 108Mbps download speeds and when coupled with the LumiStick 2, 53Mbps upload speeds. Coverage is 516 square feet and includes support for 15 users simultaneously, all through the use of industry standard white LEDs.

VLNComm’s LumiNex panels could be used to provide indoor wireless networking in offices, shopping malls, hospitals, libraries, schools, convention centres, airports, and warehouses. Similar to conventional lighting panels, they would be installed in ceilings, each one is connected to the internet using a LAN cable.

“This is a truly revolutionary (yet evolutionary) development in showing the world what LiFi is capable of,” says Dr. Noshad, the company’s Chief Technology Officer. “As the technology continues to evolve, users will appreciate the complementary nature of LiFi when used as a replacement or augmentation to radio frequency (e.g., Wi-Fi) technology. What discriminates LiFi is that it has no electromagnetic interference (EMI), offers enhanced security, is safer and provides access to a larger amount of available spectrum.”

In addition to extending LiFi beyond the current ranges, VLNComm will continue to work with luminaire and LED manufacturers to integrate its hardware and software solutions in to products with the goal of standardization, interoperability and wide-spread adoption of the technology. Near term adopters include those where security is of the utmost importance as well as those with a concern for EMI and its impact on sensitive equipment.

Visible Light Communication (VLC) and LiFi in particular, extend how many are currently using the medium to achieve a uni-directional link via optical camera communication (OCC) for indoor positioning or “beaconing”, or using near infrared to achieve limited directional communications – neither of which are true, bi-directional LiFi. To that end, VLNComm is working with others in this space to develop a common taxonomy, explore what will be needed for device interoperability and the development of domain specific use cases.

Find out more: http://vlncomm.com/products/luminex/