Optical Wireless Communications for Internet of Things: Applications, Issues and Challenges

Visible light communication (VLC) is a novel paradigm that has the potential to completely alter wireless communication in the future. In VLC, data is transferred by modifying the 400– 700 nm visible light spectrum, that is employed for lighting. It has been demonstrated via analytical and experimental study that VLC has the ability to offer high-speed data transmission with the added benefits of increased energy efficiency and communication security/privacy. As part of future smart environments, VLC with its expansive frequency spectrum and IoT integration can enable a variety of indoor and outdoor applications. An overview of optical wireless communications for the Internet of Things (OWC-IoT) is presented in this research, focusing on VLC based potential applications and challenges.