Collaborative Research: CCRI: Planning: A Visible Light Communication (VLC) Testbed for Next Generation Wireless Research

通过可见光通信（VLC）的概念将光频率用于通信在过去十年中引起了极大的兴趣。这归因于VLC的多种能力，包括高数据速率无线链路、定向且因此可能安全的传输以及在不受管制的光谱（400- 800 THz频带）中的操作。VLC是一个非常新兴的领域，只有通过广泛的实验和测试才有可能将该技术商业化。到目前为止，还没有真实的VLC测试平台可用于进行大规模的协调远程VLC实验。作为推进VLC试验台设计和开发的一步，该规划项目汇集了两所美国大学的合作团队，执行一系列研究和规划活动，为全面的试验台开发奠定了先例。测试平台设计的规划阶段的首要目标是制定出一个基线测试平台架构，调查社区和利益相关者对测试平台设计、开发和使用的兴趣，并根据社区反馈改进设计。本项目制定了一个设计远程访问室内VLC测试平台的计划，该测试平台将在静态环境下以矩形网格模式构成大量VLC节点阵列。配置并在移动的配置下集成多个VLC节点。该项目的科学价值包括：（i）设计和实施可集成到测试平台环境中的VLC收发器的各种VLC硬件和软件组件，（ii）可重复VLC研究实验的小规模可行性试验，（iii）设计和开发便携式和模块化VLC实验套件，（iv）向研究界和公众宣传测试平台并调查他们的兴趣，并收集有关我们的设计和实施的测试平台的反馈，以及（v）信息和反馈的分析，从社区对不断发展的VLC测试平台架构设计。拟议的规划，发展活动，研讨会和会议将促进社区外展和对VLC研究的兴趣，并为本科生和研究生提供一个学习平台。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并被认为是值得通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估的支持。

The use of optical frequencies for communication through the concept of visible light communication (VLC) has garnered significant interest over the last decade. This is attributed to the multitude of capabilities of VLC, including high data rate wireless links, directional and thus potentially secure transmissions, and operation in the unregulated optical spectrum (400--800 THz band). VLC is a strongly emerging area and commercial adoption of the technology is possible only if it can past-muster through extensive experimentation and testing. As of now, there is no real VLC testbed available for conducting coordinated remote VLC experiments at scale. As a step towards the advancement of a VLC testbed design and development, this planning project brings together a collaborative team across two US universities to execute a set of research and planning activities that can set the precedent for a full-fledged testbed development. The overarching goal of this planning phase of the testbed design is to work out a baseline testbed architecture, survey the community's and stakeholders' interest in design, development and usage of the testbed, and evolve the design based on the community feedback.This project develops a plan for designing a remotely accessible indoor VLC testbed that will constitute a large array of VLC nodes in a rectangular grid pattern under a static configuration and integrate a number of VLC nodes under a mobile configuration. The scientific merits of the project includes (i) design and implementation of various VLC hardware and software components for a VLC transceiver integrable into a testbed environment, (ii) small-scale feasibility trials of reproducible VLC research experiments, (iii) design and development of a portable and modular VLC experimentation kit, (iv) informing the research community and general public about the testbed and survey their interest, and gather feedback about our design and implementation of the testbed, and (v) analyses of the information and feedback from the community towards evolving the VLC testbed architecture design. The proposed planning, development activities, and workshops and meetings will foster community outreach and interest in the VLC research, and provide a learning platform for undergraduate and graduate students.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.