Visible light communication for rapid monitoring of environmental changes using thin film solar cells

Abstract

This study investigates the use of visible light communication (VLC) for rapid environmental monitoring by leveraging thin film solar cells as signal receivers. VLC, which employs visible light for data transmission, presents an energy-efficient and eco-friendly approach for real-time monitoring. Thin-film solar cells, recognized for their efficiency and low-light performance, function both as environmental sensors and VLC signal receivers. We conducted experiments to evaluate the system's performance across various environmental conditions, such as light intensity and temperature changes. Our findings indicate that thin-film solar cells can swiftly and accurately detect environmental changes while maintaining a low bit error rate for VLC data. The system also shows high responsiveness to rapid light variations, making it well-suited for dynamic monitoring tasks like air quality, humidity, and forest fire detection. This research highlights VLC technology's significant potential for environmental monitoring applications requiring quick, real-time data transmission, and energy efficiency with thin-film solar cells. The integration of this technology promises to enhance environmental monitoring systems, contributing to climate change mitigation and improved environmental management, and sets the stage for developing advanced, sustainable solutions in wireless communication and ecological monitoring.