Software-defined LiFi-RF network for Industry 4.0 applications

Mobility is a crucial aspect when using optical wireless technology (LiFi) in an Industry 4.0 manufacturing environment. This paper presents initial results with the wireless network concept developed in the SESAM-project combining LiFi and radio frequency (RF) prototypes. In a first stage, the performance of a high-speed LiFi cell providing spatial diversity is evaluated when mobility issues are taken into account. As a second step, we demonstrate mobility in the whole manufacturing hall with a software-defined network solution. This enables a low latency vertical handover between a proprietary RF solution, denoted as EchoRing, and the LiFi cell.