The groundbreaking ENLIGHT’EM project, financed by a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action under the Innovative Training Networks program, completed its mission in December 2023. This remarkable venture has ushered in the next generation of wireless systems through pioneering work on visible light communication (VLC) and reducing power consumption in light-emitting diodes (LEDs), particularly for challenging Internet of Things scenarios.
Domenico Giustiniano, leading investigator with IMDEA Networks, emphasized the project’s advancements and highlighted findings. “We pushed the envelope in visible light communication for both low and high-speed uses, developed resilient VLC systems, and designed systems that leverage the dual capabilities of light waves to transfer information and energy,” Giustiniano noted. The team tackled significant application-oriented challenges, delving into indoor localization, vehicular networks, and underwater systems.
The ENLIGHT’EM project proudly stands at the confluence of innovation and sustainability, creating new wireless systems that promise societal benefits in alignment with the seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These United Nations-backed SDGs aim to tackle poverty, inequality, climate change, and other global issues by 2030.
Evidenced by nearly 70 published works in top-tier conferences and journals, ENLIGHT’EM delivered innovative solutions. Its impact also manifested in tangible outcomes, with four new patents filed by the academic and industrial partners. An impressive testament to the project’s success, the IMDEA Networks research team and an ENLIGHT’EM funded student, Dayrene Frómeta, bagged the first prize in the European EIT Jumpstarter competition for their business concept ‘LiFi4Food’. This winning idea proposes an eco-friendly monitoring control system using battery-free sensors for greenhouses. The IMDEA Networks spin-off ‘LiFi4Food’ is poised to revolutionize indoor food production.
Much of the project’s success can be attributed to the people involved. The diligent supervisory team and bright PhD students infused the project with intelligence and enthusiasm. Special recognition goes to Borja Genovés, a current Marie Curie PostDoc Fellow in the USA, and project manager Javier Hervás, who flawlessly executed his role’s demands.
The ENLIGHT’EM project, although completed, continuously fuels the evolution of wireless technology. Dr. Giustiniano added, “we identified several avenues, including joint research and follow-up proposals. The work on battery-free systems has now become a key area for future 6G networks, presenting several opportunities for future projects.”
ENLIGHT’EM has advanced wireless communication technology through its blend of light and technology. Even though the project formally came to an end, it continues to impact the future of wireless communications, brightening the present and sculpting the tomorrow with its illuminating innovations.
