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Article

Merging Visible Light Communications and Smart Lighting: A Prototype with Integrated Dimming for Energy-Efficient Indoor Environments and Beyond

by
Cătălin Beguni
1,2,
Eduard Zadobrischi
1,2 and
Alin-Mihai Căilean
1,2,*
1
Department of Computers, Electronics and Automation, Stefan cel Mare University of Suceava, 720229 Suceava, Romania
2
Integrated Center for Research, Development and Innovation in Advanced Materials, Nanotechnologies and Distributed Systems for Fabrication and Control, Stefan cel Mare University of Suceava, 720229 Suceava, Romania
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Sensors 2025, 25(19), 6046; https://doi.org/10.3390/s25196046
Submission received: 15 August 2025 / Revised: 17 September 2025 / Accepted: 30 September 2025 / Published: 1 October 2025

Abstract

This article proposes an improved Visible Light Communication (VLC) solution that, besides the indoor lighting and data transfer, offers an energy-efficient alternative for modern workspaces. Unlike Light-Fidelity (LiFi), designed for high-speed data communication, VLC primarily targets applications where fast data rates are not essential. The developed prototype ensures reliable communication under variable lighting conditions, addressing low-speed requirements such as test bench monitoring, occupancy detection, remote commands, logging or access control. Although the tested data rate was limited to 100 kb/s with a Bit Error Rate (BER) below 10−7, the key innovation is the light dimming dynamic adaptation. Therefore, the system self-adjusts the LED duty cycle between 10% and 90%, based on natural or artificial ambient light, to maintain a minimum illuminance of 300 lx at the workspace level. Additionally, this work includes a scalability analysis through simulations conducted in an office scenario with up to six users. The results show that the system can adjust the lighting level and maintain the connectivity according to users’ presence, significantly reducing energy consumption without compromising visual comfort or communication performance. With this light intensity regulation algorithm, the proposed solution demonstrates real potential for implementation in smart indoor environments focused on sustainability and connectivity.
Keywords: adaptive illumination; adaptive lighting; energy efficiency; intelligent lighting infrastructure; light dimming; user centered lighting; smart lighting; sustainable building technologies; visible light communications adaptive illumination; adaptive lighting; energy efficiency; intelligent lighting infrastructure; light dimming; user centered lighting; smart lighting; sustainable building technologies; visible light communications

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Beguni, C.; Zadobrischi, E.; Căilean, A.-M. Merging Visible Light Communications and Smart Lighting: A Prototype with Integrated Dimming for Energy-Efficient Indoor Environments and Beyond. Sensors 2025, 25, 6046. https://doi.org/10.3390/s25196046

AMA Style

Beguni C, Zadobrischi E, Căilean A-M. Merging Visible Light Communications and Smart Lighting: A Prototype with Integrated Dimming for Energy-Efficient Indoor Environments and Beyond. Sensors. 2025; 25(19):6046. https://doi.org/10.3390/s25196046

Chicago/Turabian Style

Beguni, Cătălin, Eduard Zadobrischi, and Alin-Mihai Căilean. 2025. "Merging Visible Light Communications and Smart Lighting: A Prototype with Integrated Dimming for Energy-Efficient Indoor Environments and Beyond" Sensors 25, no. 19: 6046. https://doi.org/10.3390/s25196046

APA Style

Beguni, C., Zadobrischi, E., & Căilean, A.-M. (2025). Merging Visible Light Communications and Smart Lighting: A Prototype with Integrated Dimming for Energy-Efficient Indoor Environments and Beyond. Sensors, 25(19), 6046. https://doi.org/10.3390/s25196046

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