Move over Wi-Fi, light bulb connects four computers via "Li-Fi"

Chinese scientists have connected four computers to a one-watt light bulb though technology known as Li-Fi – wireless communications sent through a light bulb opening doors for what may be a more cost efficient way of linking the country than current Wi-Fi systems.

Li-Fi could be the way we connect to each other and the Internet after four scientists have used light waves to create a networked, mobile, high-speed communication that operates in a similar manner as Wi-Fi through radio spectrum. The light bulbs, with embedded microchips, can transmit at speeds up to 150mbps, much higher than the average broadband speed in China. Lead scientist, Chi Nan, explained that current Wi-Fi systems are low on efficiency and are expensive to create requiring cable connections and massive expense in creating a supporting infrastructure. "As for cell phones, millions of base stations have been established around the world to strengthen the signal but most of the energy is consumed on their cooling systems," she explained, but noted the energy utilization rate was only 5 per cent."Don’t expect Li-Fi light bulbs to be on sale in B&Q any time soon. There are significant practical barriers as signals are interrupted if the light sources are blocked in any manner. "Wherever there is an LED light bulb, there is an Internet signal Turn off the light and there is no signal. If the light is blocked, then the signal will be cut off." More importantly, according to the scientist, the development of a series of key related pieces of technology, including light communication controls as well as microchip design and manufacturing, is still in an experimental period. The technology may prove valuable to connecting China's vast areas of land where villages are effectively cut off from meaningful telecommunications as rural communities are often hundreds of miles apart and the infrastructure doesn't exist allowing connection. The term Li-Fi was coined as early as 2011 by Harald Haas, a professor of engineering at Edinburgh University, with the name standing for "light-fidelity". The technology made use of LED bulbs that glow and darken faster than the human eye can see, and LED lights being semiconductors could be programmable. Haas had envisioned numerous applications for Li-Fi ranging from car headlights transmitting data or using office lights as data transmitters. Using sound waves to transmit data is problematic and is overcome by adding additional infrastructure, often at great time and cost to the provider. "In the future you will not only have 14 billion (LED) light bulbs, you may also have 14 billion Li-Fi's deployed worldwide for a cleaner, greener, and even brighter future.".