IT technologies between physical and digital: LiFi and Surroundings
To support the necessary level of computerisation, digitisation and automation required by modern working environments, it’s indispensable to have smart technologies ready to support current and future operational challenges, such as the new application frontier that allows data to be transmitted through light: LiFi.
Panduit, Lainate (MI) – Competing with industry experts such as Panduit, a leader in infrastructure products and services for data networks and power applications, and Signify, a world leader in lighting for which we are a Certified System Integrator (Euronext: LIGHT), is always a source of opportunity and growth for a young innovative SME like ours. The participation of our CEO Francesco Paolo Russo, as Special Guest, allowed us to analyse from many points of view that phenomenon of ‘dematerialisation’ that in the last thirty years has led to a new dialogue between physical and digital in many workplaces, and above all to recount the many innovative aspects of LiFi technology.
Together with Gian Piero De Martino, Electrical and Network Infrastructure Business Unit Manager Panduit and Daniele Tordin, Technical System Engineer Panduit, we saw how, behind every delicate product and service, there is always an infrastructure with all its elements, often hidden, but not unimportant. The physical network makes possible a variety of applications that have become indispensable for everyone, such as communications, security, information and data transmission, environmental management, audio-video and lighting.
And how does LiFi fit into this picture? It’s simple: the evolution of transmission methods and media has not stopped at the sending of electrical signals through copper cables alone, but has seen the use of radio/wireless transmissions, data transfer through fibre optics through to the modulation of LED light to send and receive information in data format.
LiFi (Light Fidelity), in fact, is a cutting-edge technology that enables the transmission of data and information through visible and invisible frequencies. It is able to offer numerous advantages, including greater bandwidth and a high data transmission speed that today reaches 1Gb/s, and will reach, in 2025 according to industry studies, 1 Tbit/s. In the laboratory, these speeds are already being achieved today, which commercially will only be achieved with the advent of 6G, of which LiFi is a precursor as the sixth generation of connectivity will fully embrace the Thz frequencies of light.
This technology, using light and not emitting radio frequencies, can be used in sensitive and interference-hostile environments such as hospitals, aircraft and military bases. Furthermore, the use of a solution that uses light to provide connectivity, which by its very nature is confined within the limits of space and cannot overcome physical barriers, provides greater protection from potential hacker attacks from outside, making the transmission of information and data fast and secure. Another important feature of LiFi is its accuracy in terms of geolocalisation. It is possible to detect the position of a device, and therefore also of a user, with a margin of error of a few centimetres. This is a benchmark for the sector, especially considering that the most widely used technology for localisation to date is Bluetooth, which has error margins in the order of a metre.
Starting from this potential of LiFi, in To Be we have been carrying out intensive work on evangelising the technology for some years now in areas ranging from Healthcare to Education, from Cultural Heritage to Defence, and we have come to develop three application solutions: LiFi Geolocation, an indoor geolocation system that uses LED light modulation to define a user’s position extremely accurately, managing to enable, among other things, indoor navigation experiences; LiFi Streaming, a system for a two-way wireless connection to the PC and/or tablet network that is fast, secure and sustainable; LiFi Point To Point, a point-to-point communication system capable of providing wireless connectivity even over long distances, which can be used both indoors and outdoors.
To date, we have several very significant LiFi projects to our credit in different areas. Among the most important are the installations inside the Archaeological Park of Pompeii, Castel del Monte, the MArTA Museum in Taranto, the National Archaeological Museum in Altamura and the entire circuit of the Sac Museums, which have enriched visitors’ experience by allowing them to receive information on the various works on display directly on their smartphones through the LiFi Art App and to be guided through the exhibition thanks to LiFi’s accurate geolocation system.
In several Italian schools between Lazio and Marche, we brought LiFi to enable students to connect to the network via light in a secure, fast and sustainable manner, while at ASL Napoli 2 Nord, the hospitals of Pozzuoli, Ischia and Procida are the first Italian health facilities where LiFi has enabled improved services for patients, visitors, doctors and hospital staff.
Would you like to get in touch with us and find out more about our LiFi solutions? Write to us at info@tobe-srl.it and we will send you in-depth material.
To Be Widens its Horizons with LiFi P
To Be keeps working on providing a fast, secure and sustainable connection thanks to LiFi. Other than LiFi S and LiFi G, LiFi P is the new solution developed by To Be, which works through point-to-point data transmission.
What is LiFi?
LiFi is a cutting-edge technology that allows data transmission through LED light modulation. It can offer several benefits, such as large bandwidth and fast data transmission. Since it uses light and does not emit radio waves, LiFi can be ideal in environments that are hostile to interferences, such as hospitals, military buildings, and airports. In addition, since it provides connectivity by using light, that is enclosed in a specific area, LiFi prevents external hacker attacks. This makes LiFi safe and sustainable.
LiFi P2P
There are several solutions developed by To Be. One important example is LiFi Geolocation, which allows an extremely accurate geolocation service and provides access to multimedia content through light modulation. Another one is LiFi Streaming, which offers a fast, secure and sustainable connection. Now, To Be widened its horizons with another significant LiFi solution: LiFi Point to Point (P2P), which guarantees effective wireless communication from point to point, even in long distances and without radio-frequency emissions.
How Does it Work?
LiFi P2P involves two visually connected optical devices that immediately create a network, even over considerable distances, without the need to lay cables. You can travel even longer distances while maintaining stable performance by creating a network of LiFi P devices that bounce the signal between them. Crossing an area or warehouse, making offices in adjacent buildings communicate, and transporting data signals through a corridor without tracing or laying cables, thus becomes a simple and safe task with a transmission speed of up to 10 Gbps.
Se vuoi sapere di più riguardo alla soluzione LiFi P, visita il nostro sito: https://tobe-srl.it/lifi-p/
To Be Represents Italy at the LiFi Conference
The second edition of the LiFi Conference, the most important global meeting for LiFi experts, took place on June 28th at the Eindhoven High Tech Campus, in the Netherlands. To Be’s representatives attended the event: we brought some of the Italian innovation experience in the Netherlands.
To Be's case studies caught much attention at the LiFi Conference: thanks to the collaboration with institutions and the corporate world, our innovative company implemented and realized several projects in different contexts, such as the Cultural Heritage, Healthcare, and Education sectors.
LiFi: What is it?
LiFi is a cutting-edge technology that allows data transmission through LED light modulation. It can offer several benefits, such as large bandwidth and fast data transmission. Since it uses light and does not emit radio waves, LiFi can be ideal in environments that are hostile to interferences, such as hospitals, military buildings, and airports. In addition, since it provides connectivity by using light, that is enclosed in a specific area, LiFi prevents external hacker attacks. This makes LiFi safe and sustainable.
To Be at the LiFi Conference
The LiFi Conference was extremely relevant as it represented a global meeting point between industry and research to dive deeper into the latest trends of the market and its dynamics, as well as the potential applications of LiFi in several different sectors. Other important topics covered were the role of startups and research in the development and spread of LiFi.
The conference saw the participation of highly renowned figures at a global level, such as Harald Haas, a well-known Professor at Strathclyde University, who first coined the term "Li-Fi". Representing To Be there were Danilo Fattorini, Chief Operating Officer, and Francesco Paolo Russo, Founder, and CEO. For the occasion, we talked about Italy's contribution to the spread and development of LiFi services, particularly in sectors such as Cultural Heritage, Healthcare, and Education.
We are working on several significant LiFi projects in these fields, among which are installations in museums such as the Pompei Archeological Park, Castel Del Monte, MArTA in Taranto, and Altamura National Archeological Park, and so on. LiFi enriched visitors' experience as it guided them through exhibition paths thanks to the geolocation system, and allowed them to receive additional content on their smartphones. We also brought LiFi to several Italian schools, providing students with a fast, safe, and sustainable connection. ASL Napoli 2 Nord, based in Pozzuoli, Ischia, and Procida, was the first Italian hospital to implement LiFi to enhance services for visitors, patients, and healthcare staff.
You can learn more about our projects and potential LiFi applications on our website: https://tobe-srl.it/en/
Li-Fi at the SMAU fair in Berlin
To Be played an important role at the SMAU event in Berlin, which took place April 27-29. This event further contributed to strengthening the ties between Italian startups and the German world of innovation.
More than often, the words “startup” and “Italy” do not go hand in hand. However, the SMAU event has started to change things. 40 startups were selected to participate in “SMAU | Italy RestartsUp in Berlin”, among which To Be. This event showed us that innovation can take place in our territory.
By competing in the Energy and Environment, category, To Be had the opportunity to meet German investors and talk about current and future projects.
Among the many unforgettable moments, we will remember the debate with other startups that took place at the Italian Embassy of Berlin, in front of important investors and government agencies. During this panel, we were honored to be mentioned by Ernesto Ciorra, Chief Officer of Enel Group.
The German innovation system proved to be one of the most advanced worldwide, especially in matching innovative startups with investors. The German system is a role model to follow.
We sincerely thank SMAU and ICE, which is an agency that works on promoting and internationalizing Italian companies, for following us in this experience that allowed To Be to build meaningful networks and create new opportunities.
All of this was possible thanks to the project " To Be International” which was supported by the Lazio Region and Lazio Innova, and was co-funded by the European Union with the Contest POR/FESR 2014-2020 and a contribution of 48.519 euros.
We are looking forward to attending the next SMAU event that will take place on October 12 and 13 2022 in Milan.
Join the LiFi revolution! Contact Us
To learn more about Li-Fi, read here.
Sustainable Innovation Meets the Barracco Museum!
Starting from January 6th, ancient art will meet sustainable innovation with the new LiFi project: a new way to experience art, a visit guided by light.
The Li-Fi project, which was promoted by Roma culture, Sovrintendenza Capitolina ai Beni Culturali, will bring Li-Fi to Museums: sustainable innovation will land at the Barracco Museum in Rome, with a cutting-edge visitor experience thanks to wireless technology. This project was implemented and presented by To Be Srl, DB Ingegneria dell’immagine Srl and Tecno Electric Srl and with the support of the European Union.
The project was one of the 43 winners out of a total of 126 participants of the Contest POR FESR 2014-2020 “L’Impresa fa Cultura”. This contest was promoted by Regione Lazio to enhance our cultural heritage through innovation.
The Barracco Museum is one of the first museums worldwide to implement LiFi, which stands for Light Fidelity. It is an innovative and advanced communication system that allows wireless data transmission thanks to LED light sources. This data is received by visitors through their mobile devices with a camera. To enjoy the additional content related to the art exhibition, visitors will simply download the specific app and will position their device under the LED light source.
"We founded To Be because we had a dream and a vision: to imagine a world where every light source can transmit data. This is our idea for LiFi Revolution. LiFi is a technology that allows data transmission in a fast, sustainable, and safe manner. During these first years at To Be, we implemented several projects in so many different fields thanks to the unique features and flexibility of this cutting-edge technology.”
Francesco Paolo Russo, CEO & Founder of To Be
Introducing the Project
The project was presented on January 5th, 2022, on the occasion of the press release that took place at the Barracco Museum, and that was moderated by Mr. Gianni Todini, Askanews director. After the greetings by Maria Vittoria Marini Clarelli, Superintendent of Cultural Heritage, several speakers intervened: Roberto Pollari, Head of the Cabinet of the Regional Council President Regione Lazio; Francesco Paolo Russo, Founder and CEO of To Be srl; Giancarlo Brasini, Project Manager DB Ingegneria dell’Immagine; Alfonso Pecoraro Scanio, President of Fondazione Univerde; Gabriele Ferreri,President of ANGI- National Association of Young Innovators.
The implementation of the project involved 14 selected points of interest. 9 of these are located in the rooms of the ground floor and the first floor, while the other 5 points are located in the ancient Roman House, its first structures dating back to the IV century A.D. The Roman House is located in the museum's undergrounds, which will be reopened to the public on the occasion of this project, after being closed for more than 20 years. The accidental discovery of the ruins in the undergrounds can be traced back to 1899. They were brought to the surface during the demolition of the Renaissance buildings to implement a new road axis in Corso Vittorio Emanuele.
In addition, the Domus, which has been closed to the public since 2000, will be extraordinarily opened every day (only closed on Monday) until January 9th, and, following, it will be open until the end of February on the weekend, from Friday to Sunday. The temporary reopening of the Domus, related to the LiFi project, represents the first step towards a complex and important journey to enhance the exhibition that will be developed in the next months.
This technology will be experimented with at the Barracco Museum until February 20th, 2022, with the possibility of being extended.
To learn more about LiFi, read here.
If you are interested in bringing LiFi to your school or to your children's school, contact us.
Castel Del Monte Chooses LiFi!
The potential applications of LiFi within museums allow the creation of an innovative communication system, providing visitors with a unique and innovative experience. Through LiFi G installations, To Be offers several proximity services that contribute to the promotion of museum exhibitions and our cultural heritage in general.
Castel Del Monte decided to initiate a digitalization process to enrich its visiting experience by creating ties between the digital and the physical. The initiative falls within the Piazza Wi-Fi Italia agreement protocol, signed by the Minister of Economic Development, the Region of Puglia, Alta Murgia National Park, and Infratel Italia. This agreement protocol aims at building solid networks among municipalities, public institutions, big companies, and private organizations handling public outdoor spaces; and at implementing new free Wi-Fi zones through proximity access point installation in cultural points of interest.
The project of innovating the site of Castel Del Monte, one of the most important Italian museums, saw To Be working on the implementation of several LiFi Zones, that, through a specific app, guarantee access to countless multi-media contents.
To Be International: The Li-Fi Light in Europe
The Light of innovation is looking at the European Market
The Lazio Region announced the contest Bando POR/FESR 2014-2020 “Incentives for acquiring support services related to internationalization processes of PMIs”, with the objective of supporting entrepreneurial realities in the development of internationalization processes, in entering MPIMI foreign markets and consolidating their presence.
As beneficiaries of the contest, we are proud to announce our efforts in entering European markets, particularly the Portuguese and Dutch ones.
More specifically, the “To Be International” project had an estimated value of 95 thousand euros and saw a contribution of 48.519 thousand euros from the European Union. The project involves trademark registration, our participation in five international events, a series of promotional marketing and communication activities, and the implementation of tailored consultancy and support activities from the Temporary Export Manager.
Thanks to this opportunity, we aim at taking the lead in the development of LiFi solutions in several market segments, such as the Cultural Asset, Retail, and School sectors. This would happen through collaboration with local partners. In particular, we would like to do the following:
- Emphasize and bring to the surface the unique potential and characteristics of LiFi, especially to the eye of eventual foreign users (for example working in retail, transportation, and cultural institutions).
- Develop solutions that will align with market needs.
- Promote companies' ability to work with advanced solutions in sectors characterized by rapid growth and a strong technological presence.
- Strategically position our company in the market taking into account technological developments that will launch the LiFi technology and its exponential growth in the market.
Are you ready to follow us during this new adventure? We will keep you updated!
Ambassadors of Innovation 2020
The award “Ambassadors of Innovation” is given to praiseworthy organizations that, with their daily efforts, demonstrate to be real ambassadors of the Italian innovation system. This prize aligns with corporate social responsibility.
We are honored to have received such an important award from Ambassador Day, an event born in 2019 with the purpose of recognizing all those companies, associations, and professionals that stand out for their work, becoming ambassadors of Made in Italy worldwide.
We are happy to share this award with all of you, which, since To Be's very first steps, have showed us much interest and support.
Get ready because there will be big news in the next few months!
LiFi: Safety and Sustainability in Schools
Light sources become potential data transmitters. Schools improve with easy-to-use and inclusive additional services. Students gain new academic tools.
LiFi is a sustainable technology able to eliminate risks linked to electromagnetic pollution and drastically reduce energy consumption related to the telecommunication and lighting engineering industries, incentivizing the use of cutting-edge LED lamps and eliminating radio wave-related energy consumption. LiFi can also be implemented in schools!
Our objective is to experiment with new, high-speed, low, or zero radio-wave-emission technologies.
Li-Fi (Light Fidelity), which allows data transmission through LED light, offers a fast, more stable connection, free from interferences and band saturation issues. In addition, light can be enclosed within a specific area, thus the risk for external hacker attacks is drastically reduced. Differently from Wi-Fi technologies, Li-Fi does not emit radio waves, avoiding interference risks with other devices.
Our team is developing and offering several solutions to the market, among which there is LiFi S (Streaming), a bidirectional connection system allowing the connection of one or more computers to the network, working thanks to lighting bodies equipped with Li-Fi technology and USB keys able to receive and transmit the signal.
LiFi S represents a concrete answer to the need of reducing indoor exposure to high-frequency electromagnetic fields as much as possible More in general, LiFi S also aims at improving the energetic efficiency in school, guaranteeing students an unprecedented connection, which is safe, secure, and sustainable.
Thanks to our dialogue with several schools, our LiFi Zones will offer a LiFi connection within scholastic buildings.
The first LiFi projects in school will most likely be launched in the Region of Marche, which is the first Italian public administration to allow municipalities to be equipped with this modern, innovative, and green technology for data transmission.
With great enthusiasm, we also learned about mayor Virginia Raggi’s willingness to transform Rome into a smart city, bringing Li-Fi into schools.
We are ready to spread the light of innovation!
LiFi: What it is, How it Works, Benefits, and Applications
What is LiFi?
LiFi (or Li-Fi), which stands for Light Fidelity, is a technology that allows the transmission of data and information through LED light modulation.
Light is a wave, exactly like the electromagnetic waves and the radio frequencies that are normally utilized for transmitting information. Therefore, like a wave, light can become a communication channel and a tool to transmit and receive data when appositely modulated.
How Does LiFi Work?
A LiFi data transmission system is a LED infrastructure that, thanks to the implementation of electronic components between the power supply and the light source, generates binary codes through the beam of light it emits.
In order to generate binary codes and consequently transmit data, light is repeatedly turned off and on very quickly. This intermittence process, which the human eye is not able to detect, can transmit information to the connected devices. Several devices such as smartphones, tablets, and laptops can elaborate the signal from the light beam and convert it into information.
What is Needed for LiFi Data Transmission?
First of all, regarding the LED infrastructure (concerning the hardware), it is fundamental to identify the illuminated bodies that are better suited for what will be illuminated (for example a painting, a design piece, merch displayed in a store…)
All the newest LED lights (of the last 2-3 years) can be compatible with LiFi technology. From a plant engineering standpoint, this process is no different from setting up regular LED lights. The installed system, in fact, will have the same function and life cycle as a regular LED implant.
All the LED sources are potential information transmitters, and every device is a potential user.
Once the hardware part is set up, it has to become compatible with the Li-Fi technology by developing the software part. There is a dashboard where all the different lamps installed are registered, ad to each of them corresponds to specific contents. These contents can be easily updated, remotely as well, through a designated software.
For example, if an edit is needed, if the exhibition (in case of museum exhibitions) or the product change it will not be necessary to rebuild the LED implant each time: it will be enough to update the contents by working on the software part.
LiFi Benefits
The internet connection through LiFi has several benefits: let us a look at the main ones:
Speed of Transmission
Thanks to LiFi technology it is possible to reach transmission speed comparable to 5G. LiFi, in fact, not only manages to perform as efficiently and quickly, but it is also much more reliable than 5G.
Currently, LiFi speed is about a hundred times superior to the WiFi transmission.
There already are LiFi apps in the market transmitting data at about 10 Gps (Gigabit per second), which is a speed that cannot be reached with other technologies. This is because the LiFi uses light, which has a spectrum 10.000 times wider than the WiFi. This allows for extremely fast connections and a non-saturated bandwidth.
In very crowded spaces, such as festivals and museums, the public WiFi can often stop working or can be extremely slow due to the many devices connected. With LiFi this is not the case: everyone is connected at their own speed as the bandwidth is not saturated.
Geolocation
An important characteristic of LiFi technology is its precise geolocation feature. In fact, LiFi can reach areas in which there is no GPS signal, and it is capable to track the user's location with extreme accuracy. (the margin error is just 2-3cm).
This feature results in a very accurate user experience. Through LiFi we are able to guide people during the whole user experience, giving them specific information and suggesting to them the best path based on where they are located and what they are looking at.
Data Analysis
Thanks to geolocation, it is possible to access a series of data on the user experience of products or services. We are able to determine which path they took, where exactly they stopped, and for how long. This is possible because the same light-transmitting data about the specific object that the user is looking at receives and elaborates useful information related to it.
In the retail sector, in particular, this data can really make the difference, as they lead the way for what is called marketing of proximity. Therefore, the LiFi technology allows in-depth research of the shopping dynamics in loco, and consequently an analysis of the market positioning of the products. This data can be highly useful for sellers to implement their own marketing strategies.
Sustainability
The responsiveness to energy-saving and electromagnetic pollution reduction make of LiFi a green technology, which is 100% ecological. LiFi, in fact, thanks to the use of LED lamps, guarantees energy-saving.
Moreover, the waves used for data transmission do not cause issues for human health and do not create interferences or conflicts in particular environments (for example in the medical sector where often it is not possible to implement other kinds of technologies due to the interference with other medical devices).
Safety
LiFi is a data transmission system that protects the information from potential hacker attacks and data leaks. Cybersecurity is of the highest quality with LiFi, and the reason is very simple: data is transmitted through light, and light cannot pass through the walls. The only way to hack the system is by being physically present in the sites where the light sources are located.
LiFi and Fields of Application
The potential of LiFi is endless, as its fields of application are: Only imagination is needed. Let us look at some examples:
LiFi in Museums
Thanks to the light illuminating the exhibitions, it is possible to interactively guide the visitors and provide them with detailed information and additional content such as videos, images, and so on during their tour experience.
LiFi and the Retail Sector
The illumination of a product displayed in a store or of the different sections in shopping malls allows for the transmission of specific information or customized suggestions in loco to the customers. (including particular promotions and offers)
LiFi in the Medical Field
As we have previously said, not only are the waves used for data transmission through LiFi unharmful for human health, but they also do not emit radio frequencies. This makes LiFi particularly suited for hospitals and other healthcare facilities where it is prohibited to use technologies interfering with medical devices.
Other Sectors
The future development of technology will be related to the signal transmission in the automotive, corporate, and submarine (for which the US Navy is experimenting with several interesting solutions) fields, and to the accessibility of information for people with visive and hearing disabilities (on which many are already working).
LiFi Prospects: a Look at the Market
To understand the characteristics of the LiFi technology and how the market is evolving, we interviewed Francesco Paolo Russo, Founder, and CEO di To Be - an Italian company focusing on the implementation of “turnkey” LiFi solutions.
How far along are we in the development of the LiFi technology?
“The period we are currently living is very significant for the development of the LiFi technology, and consequently for its market, which is progressively becoming more prominent. When we launched To Be, the technological advancement process still had to reach a level at which a massive application could take place. I am confident to say that it is thanks to our contribution and technical team that LiFi made tremendous progress, up to reaching the high standards of today.”
Could you give us some insights on how the LiFi market will be in the next years?
“Market analysts are expecting a significant growth of the LiFi technology in the next years, with exorbitant amounts of several billion. Personally, I am convinced that within a very short span of time the LiFi technology will be accessible to everyone, including in residences. In fact, currently, LiFi solutions still have an elevated cost that would not be suitable for domestic use, but in the next years this is expected to change.”
This shift was also confirmed by several signals from important global players. Do you agree ?
“I would definitely agree. At a global level, in the last months, global players such as Huawei and Dell have begun stating that they are working on the necessary components related to sensor technology that will allow the stream of LiFi data to be directly detected and elaborated by their devices (without the necessity to download additional apps).”
To Be has implemented important LiFi projects. What was the strategy that allowed you to take over the market?
“Differently from other market players, that opted for a more experimental approach, To Be immediately worked on the implementation of solutions that could be inserted into the market. This way, we basically led the way in the market. Even today, the most important LiFi projects at a global level were developed by us.”
What are your objectives and hopes for the short-term future?
“After having implemented the first archeological site and the first ship with a LiFi zone worldwide, we would now like to focus on giving life to the first healthcare facility and the first city equipped with LiFi. In addition, we would really like it if this milestone took place in Italy, our country, as was the case for the ship and the archeological site. In particular, we would like to do so before Dubai, which declared to wanting to become the first LiFi city by 2021. Our hope is that the Italian Public Administration will give us the opportunity to carry out this operation.”
We thank Francesco Paolo Russo, To Be Founder and CEO for supporting Elettricomagazine in the creation of this article.
Published on Elettrico Magazine | June 27th, 2019.
https://elettricomagazine.it/attualita-news/lifi-funzionamento-vantaggi-applicazioni/
