What is Li-Fi?

Light Fidelity (Li-Fi) is a bidirectional, high-speed and fully networked wireless communication technology similar to Wi-Fi. The term was coined by Harald Haas and is a form of visible light communication and a subset of optical wireless communications (OWC) and could be a complement to RF communication (Wi-Fi or cellular networks), or even a replacement in contexts of data broadcasting.

It is wire and uv visible-light communication or infrared and near-ultraviolet instead of radio-frequency spectrum, part of optical wireless communications technology, which carries much more information and has been proposed as a solution to the RF-bandwidth limitations.

How does it works?

Li-Fi and Wi-Fi are quite similar as both transmit data electromagnetically. However, Wi-Fi uses radio waves while Li-Fi runs on visible light.

As we now know, Li-Fi is a Visible Light Communications (VLC) system. This means that it accommodates a photo-detector to receive light signals and a signal processing element to convert the data into 'stream-able' content.

An LED lightbulb is a semi-conductor light source meaning that the constant current of electricity supplied to an LED lightbulb can be dipped and dimmed, up and down at extremely high speeds, without being visible to the human eye.

For example, data is fed into an LED light bulb (with signal processing technology), it then sends data (embedded in its beam) at rapid speeds to the photo-detector (photodiode).

The tiny changes in the rapid dimming of LED bulbs is then converted by the 'receiver' into electrical signal.

The signal is then converted back into a binary data stream that we would recognise as web, video and audio applications that run on internet enables devices.

Harald Haas invented li-fi in 2011, a professor at Edinburgh University is a busy man. In 2011 he invented a wireless broadband technology that uses LEDs to send data at hundreds of times the speed of today's wi-fi networks.

LIFI can give a bandwidth of 224Gbps speed would technically allow for 18 movies of 1.5GB each to be downloaded in a single second CC. (can you imagine how cool that would be, but alas torrent sites are banned) But it will be good live streaming, video blogging (VLOG) and online multiplayer in video games. Just by switching on the light you can access internet.

Li-Fi and Wi-Fi are quite similar as both transmit data electromagnetically. However, Wi-Fi uses radio waves while Li-Fi runs on visible light. There is thing known as Photo-voltaic cell which converts light energy into electrical energy. Due to VLSI(Very Large Scale Integrated) circuit the analog signal will turn to digital signal in binary code which then on decoding and transmitting will become electromagnetic waves. Thats how a LIFI works. {P.S. - I knew someday my electronics degree will come to work}

What is Li-Fi?

LiFi is a wireless optical networking technology that uses light-emitting diodes (LEDs) for data transmission. Li-Fi and Wi-Fi are quite similar as both transmit data electromagnetically.

How it works?

LiFi is designed to use LED light bulbs similar to those currently in use in many energy-conscious homes and offices. However, LiFi bulbs are outfitted with a chip that modulates the light imperceptibly for optical data transmission. LiFi data is transmitted by the LED bulbs and received by photoreceptors.

Li-Fi is a Visible Light Communications (VLC) system that runs wireless communications at very high speeds. Li-Fi and Wi-Fi have some affinities like they both transmit data electromagnetically. However, the distinction lies in the medium they use. Wi-Fi relies on radio waves, whereas Li-Fi runs on visible light.

For Li-Fi, a photo-detector receives light signals. Li-Fi also accomodates a signal processing element to convert the data into 'stream-able' content.

For Li-Fi, an LED lightbulb is used as a semi-conductor light source. Well, this allows to increase and decrease the constant current of electricity supplied to an LED lightbulb. And that too at extremely high speeds and without being visible to the human eye.

Let's understand this with an example. Using signal processing technology, you can feed data into an LED light bulb. Now, the data embedded in its beam can be sent at rapid speeds to the photo-detector (photodiode).

Then, the receiver converts the tiny changes that occur in the rapid dimming of LED bulbs into an electrical signal. After this, the signal is converted into a binary data system that appears as web, video and audio applications.

I hope the answer has helped lift the lid off the mystery how Li-Fi works.