Enhancing Airport Navigation Using Visible Light Communication

Abstract

This study introduces an innovative approach to facilitate navigation within crowded multi-terminal airports using Visible Light Communication (VLC) technology. Existing luminaires serve as transmission points, conveying encoded messages through modulated light signals to provide location-specific guidance to users. Equipped with tetrachromatic LEDs and VLC capabilities, these luminaires efficiently transmit data, demonstrated through coverage map analysis and the implementation of the OOK modulation scheme. A novel mesh cellular hybrid structure is proposed, eliminating traditional gateways and enhancing system flexibility. Integrating VLC into an Edge/Fog architecture leverages VLC’s wireless connectivity and secure line-of-sight communication while utilizing existing lighting infrastructure. This integration enables distributed data processing, storage, and communication at the network edge, thereby improving system performance and responsiveness. The paper presents a detailed airport model generation and analyzes two user categories: pedestrians and luggage/passenger carriers. Users are equipped with PINPIN optical sensors to receive and interpret modulated light signals, facilitating localization and positioning calculations. A communication protocol tailored to VLC specifications is discussed, alongside coding and decoding techniques to ensure reliable transmission. This approach demonstrates the potential of VLC to enhance navigation and user experience in high-density environments like airports.