High-Reliable LED Visible Light Communications and Positioning

现有的用于无线通信和导航的射频（RF）无线技术遇到了技术挑战，例如，由于有限的频率带宽和室内定位的限制，不适合大数据流。由发光二极管（LED）发射的可见光可以被调制以实现无线可见光通信（VLC）和定位（VLP）。VLC/VLP技术基于节能LED灯泡，可能成为现有RF无线和导航的革命性替代方案。加州大学河滨分校的Albert Wang博士将于2016年至2018年期间带领15名美国本科生在中国进行LED VLC/VLP研究。美国学生将在中国度过两个夏季，首先在北京，在清华大学（TU）微电子研究所，先进半导体制造的最佳大学基础设施之一，然后在武汉，中国的光谷，在华中科技大学（HUST）光学与电子信息学院与当地中国学生一起进行VLC/VLP研究。TU和华中科技大学分别为纳米器件制造和光电集成提供世界一流的互补研究优势和设施。两位中国合作研究者，TU的Tianling Ren教授和HUST的Xuecheng Zou教授是该领域的知名学者，他们与王博士合作多年，包括接待美国REU学生。这个中美IRES项目将使美国学生接触到光电无线通信和测距研究的全球前沿。预计至少50%的参与者将来自代表性不足的少数群体。这个为期三年的中美IRES项目将让美国本科生参与开发基于LED的新型无线可见光通信（VLC）和定位（VLP）系统。基于加州大学光无处不在通信中心正在进行的研究，（UC-Light），IRES学生将被指导与中国同行一起进行以下研究任务：（1）开发基于LED的VLC测试平台系统，（2）设计VLC/VLP系统的集成电路（IC），（3）开发基于LED的实时跟踪系统，（4）研究用于VLC系统的宽带石墨烯基光调制器，以及（5）设计用于高可靠性LED VLC/VLP系统的静电放电（ESD）保护。开发的LED VLC/VLP技术可能是现有基于RF的无线通信和导航技术的革命性替代方案，解决了其技术局限性。参与的美国学生将接受培训，使其在技术上具有竞争力，并为他们未来的职业生涯提供全球支持。

Existing radio-frequency (RF) wireless technology for wireless communication and navigation has encountered technical challenges, e.g., unsuitable for big data streaming due to limited frequency bandwidth and limitation on indoor positioning. Visible light emitted by light-emitting diodes (LED) may be modulated to realize wireless visible light communication (VLC) and positioning (VLP). Building on energy-efficiency LED lighting bulbs, VLC/VLP technology may potentially be a revolutionary alternative to existing RF wireless and navigation. Dr. Albert Wang of University of California-Riverside will bring 15 American undergraduate students to conduct LED VLC/VLP research in China during 2016 to 2018. The American students will spend two summer months in China, first in Beijing, at the Institute of Microelectronics of Tsinghua University (TU), one of the best university-based facilities for advance semiconductor fabrication, then in Wuhan, China's optical valley, at the School of Optics and Electronics Information of Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST) to perform VLC/VLP research in pair with local Chinese students. TU and HUST offer world-class and complementary research strengths and facilities for nano device fabrication and opto-electronic integration, respectively. The two Chinese co-investigators Prof. Tianling Ren at TU and Prof. Xuecheng Zou at HUST are well known scholars in the field who have been collaborating with Dr. Wang for years, including hosting American REU students before. This US-China IRES program will expose the American students to the global frontiers of opto-electronic wireless communications and ranging research. At least 50% of participants will be expected from the underrepresented minority groups.This three-year US-China IRES program will involve American undergraduate students in developing novel LED-based wireless visible light communication (VLC) and positioning (VLP) systems. Building upon the on-going research at the University of California Center for Ubiquitous Communications by Light (UC-Light), the IRES students will be directed to conduct the following research tasks in team with their Chinese counterparts: (1) develop an LED-based VLC testbed systems, (2) design integrated circuit (ICs) for VLC/VLP systems, (3) develop LED-based real-time tracking systems, (4) investigate broadband graphene-based optical modulators for VLC systems, and (5) design electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection for high-reliable LED VLC/VLP systems. The LED VLC/VLP technologies developed is potentially a revolutionary alternative to existing RF-based wireless communication and navigation technologies, addressing its technical limitations. The participating American students will be trained to be technically competitive and globally enabled for their future careers.