Shining a New Light on Data Transmission

Nov-20-14 As an alternative to QR codes, researchers have developed a way to embed data in light that lets an illuminated object to transmit information to a smartphone.

The technology works using conventional RGB LED lights, which are able to emit any combination of red, green and blue from a single bulb. Although conventional RGB LEDs only shine a single color, the data-sending system causes the lights to change rapidly from red to blue. This allows the lights to be read as binary data, with a red light encoded as "0" and a blue light as"'1." The fluctuations are invisible to the naked eye, but can be read with a smartphone's camera running the appropriate software.

The system eliminates the need for QR codes, which can mar an object's surface, and can also be used from a distance. In one example, the developers envision a person downloading a song as it is performed live simply by pointing the smartphone camera at the band.

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