Visible Light Communication Applied to Intelligent Transport Systems: an Overview

The growing use of mobile devices, besides contexts as the Internet of Things, are demanding all the efforts to provide wireless communications alternatives. Optical wireless communication is posing as a promising complementary technology to radio frequency, especially due to considerable deployments in solid-state lighting technology and its adoption in many domains. Light-emitting diodes can be used to promote visible light communication indoors and outdoors and in this case, there are many opportunities to be explored regarding intelligent transport systems, since they have been used in public lighting, traffic lights and vehicles. This article aims at presenting an overview of the applications in intelligent transport systems that are being proposed or developed around the world, allowing the communication between vehicles and infrastructure through visible light. This technology has the potential to provide a significant contribution to the communication demands in the intelligent transport system scenario.