Modeling of an energy harvesting hybrid radio frequency optical wireless sensor network

Sixth generation (6G) wireless sensor networks with energy harvesting will foster the creation of smart environments that prioritize efficiency, safety, and user-centric functionality while enabling scalable, sustainable, and autonomous networking. This paper presents a hybrid architecture that leverages visible light communication and radio-frequency transceivers for the downlink and uplink respectively, providing seamless wireless connectivity. This approach not only alleviates radio spectrum congestion by offloading data traffic to the optical channel, but also improves energy efficiency by re-using illumination light for communication purposes. We provide an open-source Python module capable of simulating key aspects, including the physical and medium access control layers as well as energy harvesting. Our results demonstrate the feasibility of self-sustaining wireless sensor nodes for a wide range of indoor scenarios, aligning with the 6G objectives of energy-efficient, low-powered, and environmentally sustainable systems. 2025 Optica Publishing Group. One print or electronic copy may be made for personal use only. Systematic reproduction and distribution, duplication of any material in this paper for a fee or for commercial purposes, or modifications of the content of this paper are prohibited. https://opg.optica.org/ao/abstract.cfm?uri=ao-64-22-6348