Wireless data from every light bulb | Harald Haas

翻译人员: Juyao Dong 校对人员: Chunxiang Qian

Do you know

你知道

that we have 1.4 million cellular radio masts

全世界有一千四百万

deployed worldwide?

无线电信号发射塔吗?

And these are base stations.

而且还有信号站.

And we also have

我们还有超过

more than five billion

五十亿的

of these devices here.

像这样的设备.

These are cellular mobile phones.

蜂窝式移动电话.

And with these mobile phones,

我们每个月

we transmit more than 600 terabytes of data

要用这些手机传输超过600 万亿字节

every month.

的数据.

This is a 6 with 14 zeroes --

就是一个6后面跟14个0

a very large number.

这是个非常大的数字.

And wireless communications

而且无线通讯

has become a utility

已经变成了像水和电

like electricity and water.

一样的基本生活必需品.

We use it everyday. We use it in our everyday lives now --

我们每天都用它. 我们生活中用得着,

in our private lives, in our business lives.

私人生活和工作中也依赖它.

And we even have to be asked sometimes, very kindly,

有些时候出于必要

to switch off the mobile phone at events like this

我们还会被和气地要求把手机关掉

for good reasons.

就像今天这样的场合.

And it's this importance

我决定关注这个话题

why I decided to look into the issues

的原因是很重要的

that this technology has,

那是因为这项技术

because it's so fundamental to our lives.

对我们的生活非常重要．

And one of the issues is capacity.

还有一个问题是容量问题．

The way we transmit wireless data is by using electromagnetic waves --

我们现在用来传输无线数据的方式是

in particular, radio waves.

电磁波，更准确地是无线电波．

And radio waves are limited.

无线电波是有局限性的．

They are scarce; they are expensive;

它稀少又昂贵，

and we only have a certain range of it.

而且我们只有一定的范围可以使用．

And it's this limitation

这个限制，

that doesn't cope

使其不能满足

with the demand of wireless data transmissions

利用无线数据传输的

and the number of bytes and data which are transmitted every month.

每个月大量的字节和数据．

And we are simply running out of spectrum.

而且它能使用的范围也都已经被利用了．

There's another problem.

还有一个问题

That is efficiency.

就是能效．

These 1.4 million cellular radio masts, or base stations,

这些一百四十万个无线信号发射塔或者是基站，

consume a lot of energy.

要消耗大量的能量．

And mind you, most of the energy

还要指出的是，这其中大部分的能量

is not used to transmit the radio waves,

并不是用来传输无线电波的，

it is used to cool the base stations.

而是用在冷却基站的．

Then the efficiency of such a base station

这样的一个基站的效率

is only at about five percent.

大概只有百分之五．

And that creates a big problem.

这就是个大问题．

Then there's another issue that you're all aware of.

还有一个大家都知道的问题．

You have to switch off your mobile phone

那就是坐飞机的时候你得

during flights.

把手机关了．

In hospitals, they are security issues.

在医院里，还有安全问题．

And security is another issue.

数据的安全性是另一个问题．

These radio waves penetrate through walls.

这些无线电波能穿透墙面．

They can be intercepted,

它就能被截获，

and somebody can make use of your network

有人就可以利用你的网络

if he has bad intentions.

干些坏事什么的．

So these are the main four issues.

这就是主要的四个问题．

But on the other hand,

另一方面，

we have 14 billion of these:

我们有一百四十亿个

light bulbs, light.

灯泡．

And light is part of the electromagnetic spectrum.

而光是电磁波谱中的一部分．

So let's look at this in the context

我们来利用一点背景知识．

of the entire electromagnetic spectrum, where we have gamma rays.

这是一个完整的电磁波谱，这里是伽玛射线，

You don't want to get close to gamma rays, it could be dangerous.

你不会想利用伽玛射线，因为它是危险的．

X-rays, useful when you go to hospitals.

X光可以用在医疗上．

Then there's ultraviolet light.

这里是紫外光．

it's good for a nice suntan,

如果想晒黑一点，它倒是帮得上忙．

but otherwise dangerous for the human body.

但其它时候对人体却是有害的．

Infrared --

红外线

due to eye safety regulations,

出于对眼睛的安全考虑

can be only used with low power.

你只能用很低的功率．

And then we have the radio waves, they have the issues I've just mentioned.

然后有无线电波，它的问题我们刚刚谈过．

And in the middle there, we have this visible light spectrum.

中间这里，我们有可见光区域．

It's light,

它是光，

and light has been around for many millions of years.

光在生活里有许多许多百万年了．

And in fact, it has created us,

事实上，是光创造了我们．

has created life,

它创造了生命

has created all the stuff of life.

创造了生命的全部．

So it's inherently safe to use.

所以光本身就是安全可用的．

And wouldn't it be great to use that for wireless communications?

如果能直接用于无线通讯难道不是很棒吗？

Not only that, I compared [it to] the entire spectrum.

不仅只是这个，我比较了一下整个光谱．

I compared the radio waves spectrum --

我比较了无线电波光谱

the size of it --

把它的大小和

with the size of the visible light spectrum.

可见光谱的大小进行了比较．

And guess what?

猜猜结果如何？

We have 10,000 times more of that spectrum,

可见光谱能用的范围是无线电波的一万倍，

which is there for us to use.

这些都可以被我们利用．

So not only do we have this huge amount of spectrum,

所以我们不仅有这么大光谱范围可以用，

let's compare that with a number I've just mentioned.

我来把刚才提到的数字和这些比较一下．

We have 1.4 million

我们一共有

expensively deployed,

一百四十万个造价高，

inefficient radio cellular base stations.

效率低的无线电波发射基站．

And multiply that by 10,000,

把这个数字乘以一万，

then you end up at 14 billion.

那就是一百四十个亿．

14 billion is the number of light bulbs installed already.

一百四十个亿恰好是已经在使用中的电灯泡的数量．

So we have the infrastructure there.

所以我们已经有了基础设施在那．

Look at the ceiling, you see all these light bulbs.

看屋顶上，你看那些灯泡．

Go to the main floor, you see these light bulbs.

再看主层上，还能看到很多灯泡．

Can we use them for communications?

我们能把它们用于沟通吗？

Yes.

能．

What do we need to do?

我们需要做什么呢？

The one thing we need to do

有一件事我们需要做的

is we have to replace these inefficient incandescent light bulbs,

就是把这些效率不高的白炽灯

florescent lights,

和荧光灯

with this new technology of LED,

换成新技术的LED(发光二极管)

LED light bulbs.

LED灯．

An LED is a semiconductor. It's an electronic device.

LED是个半导体，是个电子器件．

And it has a very nice acute property.

它有一个特别好的敏锐的性能．

Its intensity can be modulated

它的亮度是可以

at very high speeds,

高速调节．

and it can be switched off at very high speeds.

它也能以很快的速度开启或关闭．

And this is a fundamental basic property

这是我们发展这项技术的

that we exploit

一个很基础的

with our technology.

性能．

So let's show how we do that.

让我来演示下我们是怎么做的．

Let's go to the closest neighbor to the visible light spectrum --

让我们来看看离可见光最近的光谱

go to remote controls.

遥控器的光谱．

You all know remote controls have an infrared LED --

大家都知道遥控器有红外线的LED，

basically you switch on the LED, and if it's off, you switch it off.

开机的时候就开了LED,关了遥控的同时关了LED．

And it creates a simple, low-speed data stream

它发射一个简单的，低速的数据流

in 10,000 bits per second,

每秒传输十万个字节,

20,000 bits per second.

或者每秒二十万个字节．

Not usable for a YouTube video.

如果使用Youtube这是不够的．

What we have done

我们所做的就是

is we have developed a technology

开发了一项新技术

with which we can furthermore

我们可以用这项新技术

replace the remote control of our light bulb.

取代我们对灯泡的远程控制．

We transmit with our technology,

在我们技术里，

not only a single data stream,

我们不是只用一个简单的数据流

we transmit thousands of data streams

我们在同一时间并行传输

in parallel,

几千个数据流，

at even higher speeds.

而且传输速度更快．

And the technology we have developed --

我们开发的这项技术

it's called SIM OFDM.

叫SIM OFDM.

And it's spacial modulation --

它还有特殊的调控--

these are the only technical terms, I'm not going into details --

这都是技术词汇，就不深入了--

but this is how we enabled

是这项技术

that light source

使得我们能利用光源

to transmit data.

进行数据传输．

You will say, "Okay, this is nice --

你会说：＂嗯，这不错，

a slide created in 10 minutes."

花十分钟就能做出这样的一页幻灯片．＂

But not only that.

但这不是全部．

What we've done

我们还研发了

is we have also developed a demonstrator.

一个演示仪器．

And I'm showing for the first time in public

这是我第一次在公开场合

this visible light demonstrator.

展示这台可见光的演示仪器．

And what we have here

这里放着的是

is no ordinary desk lamp.

一个普通的台灯．

We fit in an LED light bulb,

我们放入一个价值三美元的

worth three U.S. dollars,

LED灯泡，

put in our signal processing technology.

加入我们信息处理的技术．

And then what we have here is a little hole.

这里有一个小洞．

And the light goes through that hole.

光从这个小洞穿过．

There's a receiver.

这里是个接收装置．

The receiver will convert these little, subtle changes in the amplitude

这个接收装置能把我们创造的

that we create there

这些很微小的亮度变化

into an electrical signal.

转化为电子信号．

And that signal is then converted back

这些电子信息再被转化成

to a high-speed data stream.

高速的数据流．

In the future we hope

将来我们希望能

that we can integrate this little hole

把这样的小洞整合到

into these smart phones.

智能手机中．

And not only integrate a photo detector here,

不仅是加入一个照片感应装置，

but maybe use the camera inside.

还可以在里面放一个照相机．

So what happens

所以当我打开灯的时候

when I switch on that light?

会发生什么呢？

As you would expect,

就像你期待的那样，

it's a light, a desk lamp.

它是个灯泡，一个台灯．

Put your book beneath it and you can read.

把你的书放在下面，就能阅读，

It's illuminating the space.

它照亮了空间．

But at the same time, you see this video coming up here.

但在同时，你能看到这上面有视频开始播放．

And that's a video, a high-definition video

这个高清晰度的视频

that is transmitted through that light beam.

是用光束传输的．

You're critical.

你有些怀疑．

You think, "Ha, ha, ha.

想着，＂哈哈，

This is a smart academic doing a little bit of tricks here."

这是聪明的学者用了一点小诡计．＂

But let me do this.

但如果我这样做．

(Applause)

（掌声）

Once again.

再来一次．

Still don't believe?

还不相信？

It is this light

就是这个台灯

that transmits this high-definition video in a split stream.

把高清晰的视频通过分开的数据流传输的．

And if you look at the light,

如果你看着这灯，

it is illuminating as you would expect.

它还是那么亮．

You don't notice with your human eye.

人类的眼睛无法分辨这些变化．

You don't notice the subtle changes in the amplitude

你不会发现我们加在这个灯泡上的

that we impress onto this light bulb.

亮度的微小变化．

It's serving the purpose of illumination,

它起到了提供照明的作用，

but at the same time, we are able to transmit this data.

同时也传输了数据．

And you see,

你能看到，

even light from the ceiling comes down here to the receiver.

即使是屋顶上的光也能照到这个接收装置上．

It can ignore that constant light,

接收装置能忽略固定不变的光，

because all the receiver's interested in

因为它只关心那些

are subtle changes.

微小的变化．

You also have a critical question now, and

你还是时不时地会有怀疑的问题．

you say, "Okay,

你会说：＂好吧

do I have to have the light on all the time

我是不是得时刻开着灯

to have this working?"

才能让它工作呢？＂

And the answer is yes.

答案是：是的

But, you can dim down the light

但你能调暗这灯

to a level that it appears to be off.

暗到它看起来像是关着的．

And you are still able to transmit data -- that's possible.

这样它还是可以传输数据．

So I've mentioned to you the four challenges.

我提到过四个挑战．

Capacity:

容量．

We have 10,000 times more spectrum,

我们有一万倍的光谱范围

10,000 times more LEDs

一万多倍的LED灯

installed already in the infrastructure there.

已经搭建在基础设施中．

You would agree with me, hopefully,

我想你会同意说

there's no issue of capacity anymore.

容量已经不再是个问题．

Efficiency:

经济．

This is data through illumination --

这是通过照明传输数据

it's first of all an illumination device.

首先是照明仪器．

And if you do the energy budget,

如果你想减少能量消耗，

the data transmission comes for free --

这数据传输是免费的

highly energy efficient.

很节能的方法．

I don't mention the high energy efficiency

我没提过LED灯泡的

of these LED light bulbs.

高度节能的性质．

If the whole world would deploy them,

如果整个世界都用它们，

you would save hundreds of power plants.

那我们能省许多的发电场．

That's aside.

这个先放在一边．

And then I've mentioned the availability.

我还提到了可用性．

You will agree with me that we have lights in the hospital.

我们都知道医院里有灯泡，

You need to see what to do.

你得看得到要做什么．

You have lights in an aircraft.

飞机上也有灯泡．

So it's everywhere in a day there is light.

所有地方都有灯泡．

Look around. Everywhere. Look at your smart phone.

看看周围，所有地方．看看你的智能手机．

It has a flashlight, an LED flashlight.

它有一个闪光灯，那是个LED灯．

These are potential sources for high-speed data transmission.

它们都是潜在的高速数据传输的设备．

And then there's security.

还有安全问题．

You would agree with me

你会同意说

that light doesn't penetrate through walls.

光不能穿透墙壁．

So no one, if I have a light here,

所以如果我有个灯泡在这，

if I have secure data,

如果我有安全相关的数据，

no one on the other side of this room through that wall

在墙那边的人是不可能

would be able to read that data.

透过墙壁猎取我的数据的．

And there's only data where there is light.

只有在有光的地方才能看到数据．

So if I don't want that receiver to receive the data,

所以如果我不希望接收装置接收数据，

then what I could do,

我能做的是

turn it away.

把它转开．

So the data goes in that direction, not there anymore.

所以数据是往那个方向传，不是这了．

Now we can in fact see where the data is going to.

现在我们能真的看到数据是往哪里传了

So for me,

所以对我来说，

the applications of it,

这项技术的应用前景

to me, are beyond imagination at the moment.

是超乎想像的．

We have had a century of very nice, smart application developers.

过去的一个世纪里，我们有很棒很聪明的应用设备开发者．

And you only have to notice, where we have light,

你只需要注意到，哪里有光

there is a potential way to transmit data.

哪里就能用来传输数据．

But I can give you a few examples.

我来举几个例子．

Well you may see the impact already now.

你可能已经注意到了它的影响力了．

This is a remote operated vehicle

在这片海域下面，

beneath the ocean.

有一个远程操控的移动设备．

And they use light to illuminate space down there.

它们用光来照亮底下的空间．

And this light can be used to transmit wireless data

光能被用来传输无线数据

that these things [use] to communicate with each other.

这些东西就能用光来相互交流．

Intrinsically safe environments

自然而然地保护了环境

like this petrochemical plant --

在那些石化工厂里

you can't use RF, it may generate antenna sparks,

你不能用RF, 它会在天线上产生火花，

but you can use light -- you see plenty of light there.

但它可以用光，你能看到许多的灯光在那．

In hospitals,

在医院里，

for new medical instruments;

用于新的医疗设备；

in streets for traffic control.

在街上用来控制交通状况．

Cars have LED-based headlights, LED-based back lights,

车辆有LED灯做的前灯，后灯

and cars can communicate with each other

这样车辆间就能交流了．

and prevent accidents

它们这样交换信息的方式

in the way that they exchange information.

能阻止交通事故的发生．

Traffic lights can communicate to the car and so on.

而且信号灯也能和车辆进行沟通．

And then you have these millions of street lamps

而且全世界还有几百万个

deployed around the world.

这样的路灯．

And every street lamp could be a free access point.

即使是这路灯也能成为免费的发射点．

We call it, in fact, a Li-Fi,

我们叫它 Li Fi

light-fidelity.

忠于光的．

And then we have these aircraft cabins.

还有这些飞机机舱．

There are hundreds of lights in an aircraft cabin,

里面有几百盏灯，

and each of these lights

每一个这样的灯

could be a potential transmitter of wireless data.

都有潜在的传输无线信号的能力．

So you could enjoy your most favorite TED video

所以你就能在长长的回家旅途中

on your long flight back home.

享受你最喜欢的TED视频．

Online life. So that is a vision, I think, that is possible.

线上生活．我想这个设想是可行的．

So, all we would need to do

我们需要做的就只是

is to fit a small microchip

把一个微小的芯片

to every potential illumination device.

插入到每一个潜在的照明设备中．

And this would then combine

这就整合了

two basic functionalities:

两个基本的功能：

illumination and wireless data transmission.

照明和无线数据传输．

And it's this symbiosis that I personally believe

我个人相信，这种组合

could solve the four essential problems

能解决我们现在无线信号传输中

that face us in wireless communication these days.

四个关键的问题．

And in the future,

在将来，

you would not only have 14 billion light bulbs,

我们不仅仅是有只一百四十万个灯泡，

you may have 14 billion Li-Fis

而是有一百四十万个Li Fi.

deployed worldwide --

遍布全球

for a cleaner, a greener,

创建一个更干净

and even a brighter future.

更绿色，更光明的未来．

Thank you.

谢谢，

(Applause)

(掌声)