A team of researchers from the University of Massachusetts Amherst has claimed that in a study they conducted, they found that the human body could be a useful tool for harvesting waste energy and using it to power devices in the future, including those that be used for 6G, the next generation of wireless communications. The human body can act as a range extender, with each individual body acting as an antenna.
Engineers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst have discovered that the human body can safely collect enough electromagnetic energy, or RF energy, to power smaller IoT devices and even act as an antenna for 6G devices in the future
The benefits of 5G wireless connectivity, which has been implemented in several countries around the world, are only now beginning to be felt by the general public. However, the next generation, known as 6G, promises up to 1000 times faster data rates and one-tenth the latency of 5G.
With its successor, an even greater number of devices and sensors are expected to come online, ushering in a new phase in the Internet of Things (IoT) era that is expected to begin with 5G. The development of Visible Light Communication (VLC), a type of fiber optic wireless network, is believed to be responsible for the higher communication rates expected in 6G.
What is Visible Light Communication?
In its most rudimentary form, Visible Light Communication (VLC) is a wireless method that uses the light emitted by LEDs to provide high-speed, networked, mobile communications similar to Wi-Fi, leading to the term Li-Fi. It can be used as a standalone solution or as an adjunct to radio frequency (RF) or cellular network communications. The basis of the technology is to switch LEDs on and off within nanoseconds at a very high frequency.
Because the visible light spectrum is 10,000 times larger than the radio frequency spectrum, VLC is seen as a solution to RF bandwidth limitations. The industry has generated very high data transmission rates and is therefore competitive.
Although the signal cannot penetrate obstacles such as walls, a direct line of sight is not required as long as light reflects off other surfaces. The LED lighting must be on for the signal to be transmitted, but can be dimmed to very low levels. VLC has the advantage over Wi-Fi that the transmission does not cause electromagnetic interference.
How does Visible Light Communication work?
When it comes to transmitting information, VLC works similarly to radio transmissions, except that it uses light from light-emitting diodes (LEDs). According to Jie Xiong, a professor of information and computer science at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, an LED in a VLC array has the ability to turn on and off a million times per second.
We already have the infrastructure to implement this technology as LED lighting is used in all our buildings, shops, streets and cars. In addition, any device with a camera, e.g. B. a laptop, tablet or smartphone, act as a receiver and activate the technology.
These LEDs also emit side channel radio frequency (RF) or radio waves, which is an energy leak and this could be harvested to make VLC devices work.
Use of RF Leakage
Xiong and his colleagues set out to develop an antenna that could capture this released energy. For their antenna design, they used copper wires wound into coils, which were then tested for their energy absorption capacity. The researchers discovered that the antenna’s ability to collect energy increased when it was connected to another object, regardless of the thickness of the coil or the number of twists of the copper wire.
Researchers not only held the antenna in contact with various materials, such as wood and steel, but also with objects such as walls, tablets, phones, and even laptops to see how much energy could be harvested. The team found that energy collection increased with electronic devices but was highest when the coil touched the human body.
Researchers not only held the antenna in contact with various materials, such as wood and steel, but also with objects such as walls, tablets, phones, and even laptops to see how much energy could be harvested. The team found that energy collection increased with electronic devices but was highest when the coil touched the human body.
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