Matsushita demonstrates data beaming with visible light

Infrared hasn't exactly taken the wireless data transfer world by storm, and while it seems to still flank the sides of modern smartphones and the occasional laptop, we can't exactly recall the last time we found it particularly useful in a public setting. Matsushita is out to solve the data beaming quandary, and it's looking to add a little light to the situation all the while with a visible twist. The technology allows data to be beamed from transmitter to receiver via visible light, and aside from purportedly streaming information along at "optical fiber speeds," it can also pull double duty as an indoor lighting source if you're short on lamps. The firm is hoping to get the standard ratified soon, and ideally, would like to see kiosks set up to beam information onto consumer / client receivers by just walking up to the light source, pairing up their device, and walking away happy. Additionally, this system could have a leg up on other wireless alternatives in sensitive areas such as hospitals, as the Visible Light Communications (VLC) creation won't interfere with pulse-makers and other medical equipment. Now, how long before this stuff hits the handset market?

[Via Gearfuse]

[Scooter @ Mar 12th 2007 6:52AM]

More interesting, when does it hit the torch market? Oh, the chance to beam information from a flashlight (without flicking it on and off, morse style).
In fact, this could introduce a whole new role for searchlights: pumping out bulk information (e.g. advertising) to all those 'visible light data receivers'.
Lighthouses as Wimax transmitters?

[Nathan @ Mar 12th 2007 7:00AM]

"Now, how long before this stuff hits the handset market?"

8 months and 4 days, 32 hrs and, 51 seconds to be exact.

[Rynth @ Mar 12th 2007 7:12AM]

What about milliseconds!?!? I crave milliseconds!!

=D

[strider_mt2k @ Mar 12th 2007 7:06AM]

Looks like it's just a step away from modulating a visible laser.

Long distance aiming might be tricky, but it sure could be secure!

[Tony Colonello @ Mar 12th 2007 9:14AM]

An epileptics' nightmare?

[All thieves should be slaughtered @ Mar 12th 2007 10:02AM]

Police vehicles could have specialized headlights that communicate with vehicles in front to scan license plate info. On flashers, the device could warn vehicles approaching that a police vehicle has someone pulled over up ahead (so driver can change lanes, slow down. May help protect officers from being hit while working).
I don't even want to think about the militaries' applications because thought control is what I'm expecting. Scary times up ahead for all.

[Andrew @ Mar 12th 2007 10:22AM]

I'd say it's probably "purportedly streaming information along at "optical fiber speeds,"" because that's exactly what fiber optic is, however fiber optic uses the fiber to transport the light stream so it can go around curves, longer distances, etc. To me this "idea" is absolutely useless because fiber optic already uses visible light and makes it useful, and IR already beams while in line of sight. Flashing a light is nothing new, but doing something new and useful with it is rare. The only thing I see this offers is a faster than IR, un-tethered data stream, however I'd think that depending on how the wavelengths affect it, I don't see why IR couldn't be ramped up other than the fact that it's never been needed because it's main use has been very small communications. As it gets faster, each flash of the light is faster, and therefore you're going to end up having to mount the sending and receiving devices because shaking at all would throw off the signal. IR is slow enough that even with a little shake it works fine and that's what it's meant to be for. Long distance would be too hard to focus without "packet loss", and short distance I'd just assume walk up and plug something in if I needed fast communication. That or stick to radio waves which are much more practical.

[Kev50027 @ Mar 12th 2007 12:38PM]

You're kidding me, right? You do know that light moves at 186,000 miles per SECOND, right? That means that no matter how fast you have that light flashing for transferring data, you would have to be "shaking" the device pretty damn fast (faster than the speed of light) for the data to get messed up in the transfer.

Therefore, your statement is just debunked.

[Andrew @ Mar 12th 2007 12:49PM]

It doesn't matter how fast you shake it, if you move the light beam out of the line of sight then it's going to lose some of the data, and when you're flashing that quickly you could lose a good chunk of data pretty fast.

[Generic @ Mar 13th 2007 4:19AM]

Even with loads of shaking, Kev50027 was right. An example of 'operational while shaking wireless' communication is WiFi. And if there is any data loss, the packets are resent and the user hardly realizes. And with such achievable speeds, the only problem occurs when using a live connection such as messenging or video confernecing. Even then, with a light source covering a wide angle of reception/transmission, this thing would be darn hard to slow down or disconnect.

[Yogi @ Mar 12th 2007 12:06PM]

You're aware that the very first wireless remotes for television used visible light, are you not? What was that, some 40-50 years ago? This may go a bit faster, but it's certainly not new.

[Kev50027 @ Mar 12th 2007 12:37PM]

Actually you're wrong there, the first remotes used audible signals.

As far as this "new" technology, as long as they can implement it in a power lean manner, it looks promising, but why not just make IR 2.0 or something? The bandwidth is there, and so is the hardware (mostly).

[Sam @ Mar 12th 2007 1:31PM]

My circa mid-1990s Timex Ironman Datalink watch had an optical sensor to receive data from your PC screen. As I recall it was pretty headache-inducing. This is pretty old-school stuff in any event. If you don't believe me, check out the Timex_Datalink entry on Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timex_Datalink