A Novel Paradigm of Indoor Navigation System using Li-Fi Technology

According to a 2022 survey by the World Health Organization (WHO), nearly 2.2 billion people across the globe are living with visual impairments, and this number is poised to grow, especially as the global population ages. When these individuals visit unfamiliar indoor locations, they face many difficulties. While navigation indoors is convenient for sighted individuals, it is essential for the visually impaired to have aiding tools for their daily activities. Electronic Travel Aids (ETAs) were developed to detect obstacles and guide users through acoustic signals for simple navigation. To address these challenges, an indoor navigation system utilizing Li-Fi technology was developed. This technology uses LED light bulbs for data transmission and operates on a free, unlicensed spectrum that is unaffected by RF noise. Li-Fi provides high-speed, low-cost wireless communication, is highly secure, and cannot be easily intercepted. Additionally, it offers a larger bandwidth compared to Wi-Fi. To enhance user convenience, the system is integrated with an ultrasonic sensor for obstacle detection and an accelerometer to monitor the user’s angular velocity. This integration makes the system well-suited for guiding visually impaired individuals in unfamiliar indoor environments.