Adapting Visible Light Communication Technology for Inter-Vehicular Use

Abstract

With the advent of connected and autonomous vehicles rapidly approaching, automakers are finding that existing technologies for radio-frequency wireless inter-vehicle communication are not keeping up with demand. A potential solution lies with Visible Light Communication (VLC), sometimes also called LiFi, a technology that can send data wirelessly through visible or near-visible light rather than through radio waves. This thesis proposes a prototype that adapts VLC technology for inter-vehicular use. It will determine the feasibility of obtaining usable bandwidth while maintaining a reasonable range via the use of ambient light filtering and adaptive gain controls in the analog side of the receiver. Research was also done into methods of encoding the data for improved signal-to-noise ratios and reduced error rates, both of which were physically measured on a real system. Promising results were obtained, and a short list of future adaptations are discussed that should further increase the performance of the design. Advantages of the technology will include higher bandwidth and a line-of-sight limit to signal propagation, meaning that multiple network cells can be emplaced in a small area without interference and improving performance in high-traffic situations.