3D-printed actuator-based beam-steering approach for improved physical layer security in visible light communication

Area of Science:

• Optics and Photonics
• Communication Engineering
• Materials Science

Background:

• Visible Light Communication (VLC) offers high bandwidth and security potential.
• Current VLC systems face challenges in receiver tracking and maintaining secure connections.
• Beam steering is crucial for directing light to mobile receivers in VLC networks.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design, manufacture, and implement a 3D-printed lens scanner for beam steering in VLC.
• To enhance VLC security by enabling receiver tracking via face recognition.
• To evaluate the performance and secrecy capacity of the developed beam steering system.

Main Methods:

• Utilized fused deposition modeling (FDM) with polylactic acid (PLA) for low-cost 3D printing of the scanner.
• Employed electromagnetic actuation for lens frame movement in two orthogonal directions.
• Integrated the 3D-printed actuator onto a miniaturized VLC test bed for characterization and demonstration.
• Implemented face-recognition feedback for real-time target tracking and beam steering.

Main Results:

• Successfully manufactured and implemented a compact (5cm x 5cm) 3D-printed lens scanner.
• Characterized the voltage-dependent beam displacement in the lateral plane.
• Demonstrated effective beam steering towards a moving target using face-recognition feedback.
• Calculated secrecy capacity, showing favorable comparison with jamming and spatial modulation techniques.

Conclusions:

• The 3D-printed lens scanner provides a low-cost, effective solution for beam steering in VLC applications.
• Face-recognition-guided beam steering significantly enhances VLC security by focusing light on legitimate receivers.
• The system allows receiver mobility while maintaining secure, focused communication, with potential for larger room applications.