DE-LIoT: The Data-Energy Networking Paradigm for Sustainable Light-Based Internet of Things

The growing demand for Internet of Things (IoT) networks has sparked interest in sustainable, zero-energy designs through Energy Harvesting (EH) to extend the lifespans of IoT sensors. Visible Light Communication (VLC) is particularly promising, integrating signal transmission with optical power harvesting to enable both data exchange and energy transfer in indoor network nodes. VLC indoor channels, however, can be unstable due to their line-of-sight nature and indoor movements. In conventional EH-based IoT networks, maximum Energy Storage (ES) capacity might halt further harvesting or waste excess energy, leading to resource inefficiency. Addressing these issues, this paper proposes a novel VLC-based WPANs concept that enhances both data and energy harvesting efficiency. The architecture employs densely distributed nodes and a central controller for simultaneous data and energy network operation, ensuring efficient energy exchange and resource optimisation. This approach, with centralised control and energy-state-aware nodes, aims for long-term energy autonomy. The feasibility of the Data-Energy Networking-enabled Light-based Internet of Things (DE-LIoT) concept is validated through real hardware implementation, demonstrating its sustainability and practical applicability. Results show significant improvements in the lifetime of resource-limited nodes, confirming the effectiveness of this new data and energy networking model in enhancing sustainability and resource optimisation in VLC-based WPANs.