Novel Data and Energy Networking for Energy Autonomous Light-based IoT Nodes in WPAN Networks

As internet of things (IoT)-based wireless personal area networks (WPAN) get more popular, visible light communication (VLC) offers unique advantages over radio frequency (RF) communication, such as unrestricted reusable spectrum and high security. Additionally, visible light can carry both signals and optical power, making it a useful medium for exchanging information and energy between network nodes. A VLC-based wireless personal area network (WPAN) concept for light-based energy autonomous IoT is proposed in this paper, which can share both data and energy between nodes. The network uses photovoltaic (PV) based energy harvesting for operation while sharing excess energy between nodes to increase efficiency. Performance of the main concept of the network is evaluated and discussed in the paper. In the future, this kind of network will enable self-sustaining IoT networks.