Top 5 Applications of Li-Fi Technology
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This article will be about some top applications of Li-Fi technology.
As a reminder, Li-Fi is a high speed, bidirectional, and fully networked wireless communication of data using light. Li-Fi is made of several light bulbs that form a wireless network. Watch the video below to see how Li-Fi works.
1. Li-Fi and Live Streaming
According to a Go-Globe report, 82% of consumers prefer to watch live videos from a brand than posts, 80% of brand audience prefer to watch live video from a brand than read a blog and live videos are watched three times longer than videos that are not live anymore. Because of the high-speed rates Li-Fi can reach, it can be made available in big shopping malls, sport stadium, street lights, air planes, trains including underground, train stations, airports and hence. This allows any user to consume rich content media like videos as well as live streaming from their smartphones or other mobile devices nearly anywhere they are like in stadiums, trains and planes provided they are exposed to Li-Fi enabled LEDs. Li-Fi live streaming can also be beneficial for the following type of events:
-Conferences
-Seminars
-Meetings
-Team Building events
-Trade shows
-Business diners
-Press conferences
-Networking events
-Opening Ceremonies
-Product launches
-Theme parties
-Award ceremonies
-Weddings
-Funerals
-Birthday parties
-Concerts
Li-Fi live streaming has a lot of potentials in the many years to come
2. Li-Fi technology in Hospitals
As Li-Fi does not interfere with radio frequency devices, Li-Fi can be safely used in many hospital applications. For example, in corridors, waiting rooms, patient rooms and operating theatres, Li-Fi technology will allow a light communication network, which will remove electromagnetic interference issues from smartphones and the use of Wi-Fi in hospitals. Li-Fi can also be used for real time monitoring and report of patient movement and vital signs without the need of wires.
In hospital pharmacies and specifically in aseptic manufacturing sites, Li-Fi could be used by pharmacists for receiving and screening electronically approved prescriptions directly in the unit. Li-Fi can be used for real-time tracking of prescribed aseptic drugs like cytotoxic drugs, Parenteral drugs and centralized intravenous additive services (CIVAS) in the unit and nurses and other healthcare professionals from the ward can check the status without the need of calling or going directly to the aseptic unit. Through Li-Fi, the access and sharing of patient records will be done in a convenient, fast and very secure manner. For pharmacy dispensaries, Li-Fi could be used by patients to check the real-time status of the prescriptions on their smartphones or pharmacy terminals while waiting to collect their scripts. Li-Fi can enable data loggers to remotely monitor an environment with periodic data uploads using Li-Fi network without the need of being collected to a PC. Through the Li-Fi network, the data can be collected from any Li-Fi enabled device.
Li-Fi can enable patients on their beds connecting to internet news, emails, video games and social media platforms through their smartphones. This will help them pass the time during their stay. For medical workers, Li-Fi will enable the tracking and relocation of the positions of key medical devices especially those regularly shared by different departments. Check the below diagram for a summary of the benefits of Li-Fi in hospitals.
Credit to Oledcomm - Summary of Li-Fi application to the patient and the care givers
Oledcomm equipped Perpignan hospital with Li-Fi.
3. Li-Fi in the Workplace
Li-Fi will not offer illumination but secure wireless connectivity in workspaces. As well as the networking capability, people will be able to take a Skype video conference call and move from one room to another without that conference call being interrupted. Workers and visitors will have a constant internet speed connection from the Li-Fi networks in the workspace. Using light, network access can also be controlled more effectively. For example, the overhead lighting in an office can provide access to the guest network, while desk lamps can provide access to specific parts of a corporate network with access rights assigned on a desk-by-desk basis
Philips Lighting's LiFi-enabled LEDs are currently being trialling Li-Fi technology in real-estate company Icade's office in La Defense, Paris.
Emmanuelle Baboulin, head of the company's commercial property investment division said: "LiFi has the potential to be a real game changer in offices. As the leader in our market we wanted to explore the possibilities of this technology for existing and future clients." "We plan to showcase the technology in our smart office in La Defense, so aside from stable connectivity, light quality is crucial to us," he added.
Credit to Oledcomm - Summary of Li-Fi application to the workers and the IT department
4. Li-Fi in Schools
The right wireless network is a key component to provide new learning experiences by connecting students and teachers to smart technology, enabling learning applications on any mobile device. Li-Fi can also provides seamless network connectivity and security throughout the whole school, from the classroom all the way through to university dorms. Some schools have even started trialling Li-Fi technology in classrooms.
A school called The Hegel-Gymnasium in Stuttgart is currently testing Li-Fi in classrooms to teach a broad range of subjects from everything to information technology. In Fraunhofer's prototype Li-Fi installation at the Stuttgart school, lightwaves from LED luminaires wirelessly carry data to boxes that are wired via Ethernet to laptops. Fraunhofer is hoping to move the box's electronics onto a dongle, similar to what pureLiFi is doing. Eventually, the chips should reside inside laptops, phones, and tablets. The school principal Frank Bäuerle stated that “We are happy that our students are involved with a sensational research project, which is concerned with high-speed data communication without electromagnetic interference. Our teaching staff and students will gather experiences on the level of sophistication of the Fraunhofer HHI VLC-modules, as well as on which pedagogical concepts make sense with this technology. In this way, we will be able to assist in the identification of future technological development.”
Pupils in the space – at the Hegel-Gymnasium in Stuttgart – uses modulated light from the LED luminaires to receive data to their devices, an emerging technology known as Li-Fi. Photo credit to Stadt Stuttgart, Yves Schneider
Few days ago, The Kyle academy, based in Scotland has also started using Li-Fi in classroom. The Li-Fi project is being run in collaboration with PureLiFi and The University of Edinburgh. The installation of pureLiFi’s LiFi-XC system consists of eight LiFi-enabled LED light bulbs in the ceiling and students have been given access to LiFi-XC Stations that plug into their laptops enabling high-speed connectivity through the lights.
The Kyle academy in Scotland has started trialling Li-Fi in classrooms. Photo credit to Lux
Professor Harald Haas stated that "Li-Fi was born in Scotland at a TED Global talk that I presented in 2011. Seven years later, I’m thrilled to see true Li-Fi deployed for the first time in a school in Scotland".
5. Li-Fi in Retail
Li-Fi can help directing shoppers from the time they enter the shop. It can also help them to locate specific products in the store, collect digital coupons, check store promotions, check stock availability of some products on the shelves, engage in store online services through their smart devices and improve their store experience.
For retailers, Li-Fi can enable them to send promotions to shoppers’ smart devices, displaying promotions and offers. Li-Fi can also help retailers understanding behaviour anonymously for most customers, understanding the demographics of their shoppers, enabling target marketing campaigns, conducting display advertising campaigns and checking real-time stock availability. Li-Fi will bring an opportunity for shopping malls and centres to be a frontrunner in gaining an understanding of their customers and ultimately influencing them.
Credit to Oledcomm - Summary of Li-Fi application to the shoppers and the store manager
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