Scientists at Boston University are working on a new, energy-efficient way to deliver your home’s wireless internet access. By transmitting information from a router through power lines straight to household lamps, LED bulbs could transmit connection information using patterns of light that people cannot see.In the same way that remote controls also use undetectable patterns of light, LiveScience reports that LED bulbs could communicate wireless connection information. One of the challenges, however, is that LED bulbs have not completely replaced incandescent bulbs in many households. Though they last longer and are more energy efficient, the price of one LED bulb is considerably higher than a regular light bulb.
Traditional wireless connections currently use radio waves to communicate, but as more and more people use the internet constantly, the radio frequency, or bandwith, becomes crowded and slow. Communicating with light could provide a speedy alternative.
Researchers are also seeking to apply the principles of communicating with light to other fields. Using LED brake lights, it could be possible for cars to “talk” to each other. If one car hits a serious pothole and registers the jolt, it would send out a signal and the cars behind it would know to be on the lookout. In addition, LED traffic lights could inform drivers of how many seconds they have before a light turns green.
Both the computer and automotive industries are hoping to see products using LED technology on the market in the next few years.
Thomas Little, a computer engineer at Boston University, tells LiveScience that “an aggressive partner could have something out on market within a year."
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--Bridget O'Sullivan
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