A Dynamic Routing Protocol for Visible Light Communication Networks

• Luiz Mendes UFJF
• Marcos A. M. Vieira UFMG
• Luiz F. M. Vieira UFMG
• Alex B. Vieira UFJF

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5753/sbrc.2019.7363

Abstract

Visible Light Communication (VLC) presents several challenges, such as interference and blockages created by obstacles. At the same time, several environments offer a rich infrastructure of light sources, which can be used to aid end-to-end communication. In this work, we present D-VLC, a dynamic routing protocol. D-VLC reacts to communication interruptions, constructing alternative routes in the network of visible light, without the need for previous knowledge of the topology or even of the devices that comprise it. We implemented and evaluated the new protocol in a real-world environment using the OpenVLC embedded platform. Our results show that, by using D-VLC, the network was able to adapt to dynamic changes in communication such as shadows and obstacles, achieving data rates of up to 3.75 Kbps –limited by the VLC technology used– in multi-hop configuration while presenting low overhead (<1%).

Keywords: Visible Light Networks, OpenVLC, Routing Protocols

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