IoT Thrust Seminar | Exploring Spatial-Temporal Multi-Dimensions in Optical Wireless Communication and Sensing

Optical Wireless Communication (OWC) techniques stand out as promising alternatives for the next generation of wireless communication. Examples include Visible Light Communication (VLC), Optical Camera Communication (OCC), Li-Fi, Free Space Optical Communication (FSOC), and LiDAR, all of which are increasingly integrated into our daily lives. These approaches often leverage LED lamps as transmitters and photo diodes or cameras as receivers to deliver fast and secure wireless services. However, current OWC methods face challenges related to slow speeds and limited use cases.

Our primary objective is to explore the potential enhancements on both the transmitter and receiver sides by developing effective strategies to boost the data rate of OWC. Moreover, we aim to broaden the scope of OWC applications from indoor to outdoor and terrestrial to non-terrestrial environments. Our investigation spans various spatial-temporal dimensions, ranging from 1D to 2D to 3D to 4D, facilitating optical wireless communication and enabling optical wireless sensing. For example, we explored diversities include 1D temporal diversity via compensation side-channel for light dimming, 2D temporal-spatial diversities in optical camera imaging, 3D spatial diversities in hollowed-out optical back-scatter tags, 4D temporal-spatial holographic tags. We also exploited 3D temporal-spatial diversities for optical wireless localization/sensing for underwater navigation and fine-grained finger tracking.

During this presentation, the presenter will focus on two key explorations published in MobiCom 2022 and MobiSys 2023. (1) 3D Optical Wireless Communication for Self-Served Underwater Navigation. Utilizing passive optical tags, this exploration demonstrates the feasibility of 3D OWC for underwater navigation. The findings highlight its potential for self-served applications, showcasing advancements beyond conventional limitations. (2) 3D Optical Wireless Sensing for Finer-Grained Finger Tracking. A detailed examination of 3D OWC for finer-grained finger tracking, showcasing its broad applications such as a virtual writing tool for Parkinson suffers. This application demonstrates the versatility of optical wireless sensing in diverse scenarios. These explorations into spatial-temporal dimensions across various applications underscore the potential of optical wireless communication as a promising option for the next generation of wireless networks and systems.