Imagine if finding a wireless hot spot was as simple as shining a bit of light or finding a bright spot in the room. This is the subject of a new study being reported by Cellular News. The program from Boston University College of Engineering, under a National Science Foundation grant, is looking to develop wireless communication that would be sent via visible light rather than traditional radio waves.

The researchers are looking at ways to send communication to low-power light emitting diodes (LED) to create "smart lighting," which has the potential to be more secure and even faster than many current network technologies. The initiative's goal is to create an optical communication technology that would make an LED light the equivalent of a Wi-Fi access point.

Using electrical lines as data carriers is not a new concept, and there have been many good methods employed. The trick is finding a clean line and avoiding devices such as surge protectors, which can break the signal. What makes this system so innovative is that it doesn't require wires, and instead is done by LED-based communications, which would be similar to the signals sent from a TV remote control.

LED lights can switch on and off significantly faster than the human eye can perceive, so this could make for some truly fast connections. For it to work, users would have to swap out traditional light bulbs for LEDs. How much light would be necessary still remains an issue, as would the issue of line of sight, but this certainly sounds like a truly bright idea.

Post by Peter Suciu