Poster Session 3, 1:15 PM - 2:00 PM: Campus Center Auditorium [A6]

Presenter: Ivan Vergizov

Faculty Sponsor: Michael Rahaim

School: UMass Boston

Research Area: Electrical and Computer Engineering

ABSTRACT

Visible Light Communication (VLC) is a promising candidate for next-generation indoor wireless networks due to its high bandwidth potential and immunity to traditional radio frequency interference. However, VLC has a fundamental limitation; it requires line of sight.  Visible light signals cannot pass through walls or obstacles, meaning blockages significantly degrade connectivity and reliability in realistic indoor environments.

Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces (RIS) offer a potential solution. By acting as mirrors, RIS can redirect optical signals around obstacles, mitigating LoS limitations and improving coverage. While the general idea suggests significant performance gains, system behavior under practical conditions remains mostly unexplored.

We previously worked with Monte Carlo simulations in MATLAB to model indoor VLC environments with varying obstacle configurations, transmitter fields of view, and RIS placements. These simulations provided insight into how system parameters influence outage and link reliability. However, simulation results require real-world validation.

The current phase of this research transitions from theory to experimentation. A scalable testbed has been developed using Raspberry Pi nodes configured as transmitters and receivers, coordinated through a centralized controller. Although WiFi is currently used as a proxy communication medium, this framework establishes the methodology for collecting dynamic performance data in realistic setting with a variety of conditions and set ups. By systematically adjusting node placement and measuring throughput and collision behavior, the testbed generates data to validate and refine simulation models.