New breakthrough could let smart windows replace Wi-Fi in your home
To get a signal in the future all you might need is a window and some fancy tech ...
Key takeaways
- A long time ago there was a lot of chatter about a technology called LiFi, that transmitted data via light from light bulbs, but in the past few years there haven’t been very many updates on the tech.
- Importantly, while traditional Wi-Fi routers use between 5 and 20 watts of electricity, the DLSs use just 1 watt and could be embedded into glass everywhere to literally smother areas with connectivity.
- Calculations indicate that in the setup's present form, it could transmit data at a rate of 16 kilobits per second – but that's just for the time being.
Cite or link to this article
Griffin, M. (2022) 'New breakthrough could let smart windows replace Wi-Fi in your home', 311 Institute, 26 November. Available at: https://www.311institute.com/new-breakthrough-could-let-smart-windows-replace-wi-fi-in-your-home/ (Accessed: 1 October 2026).
A long time ago there was a lot of chatter about a technology called LiFi, that transmitted data via light from light bulbs, but in the past few years there haven’t been very many updates on the tech. Now though a Saudi Arabian team has created a less energy-intensive alternative that could modulate sunlight to replace traditional Wi-Fi.
Currently in development at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), the system utilizes Smart Glass elements known as Dual-Cell Liquid Crystal Shutters (DLSs). These rapidly alter the polarity of sunlight passing through them, and could conceivably be used in the plate glass windows of large rooms such as offices.
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The back-and-forth changes in polarity serve the same purpose as the 1s and 0s in binary code, and are reportedly not perceptible to the human eye … although tests have shown that they can be detected and decoded by smartphone cameras. By contrast, changes in the intensity of artificial light – utilized in some other proposed systems – can be visually perceived as an unpleasant flickering effect if the frequency of the changes is too low.
Importantly, while traditional Wi-Fi routers use between 5 and 20 watts of electricity, the DLSs use just 1 watt and could be embedded into glass everywhere to literally smother areas with connectivity. According to the scientists, this amount could be supplied by a small solar panel. Of course, the system would only work while the sun was shining, so it might be used to save energy during the day, with the Wi-Fi kicking in once the sun had set.
Calculations indicate that in the setup's present form, it could transmit data at a rate of 16 kilobits per second – but that's just for the time being.
"We are now ordering the necessary hardware for a testbed prototype implementation," said the lead scientist, Assoc. Prof. Basem Shihada. "We would like to increase the data rates from kilobits to mega- and gigabits per second."
A paper on the research was recently published in the journal IEEE Photonics.
Source: KAUST via AlphaGalileo
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To get a signal in the future all you might need is a window and some fancy tech ...
About the author
Matthew Griffin Founder, 311 Institute
Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath."
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Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath." 15-time best selling author of the "Codex of the Future" series, Matthew is the Founder and Futurist in Chief of the 311 Institute, a global Futures and Deep Futures advisory firm working with royal households, world leaders, G7, G20, and G77 governments, NGOs, and multi-national mid and mega cap firms to help them explore, shape, and lead the next 50 years of business and society.
An award-winning YouTube creator with over a million followers, with an unrivalled global reach and impact, Matthew is a highly sought-after international keynote speaker, lecturer, and mentor who collaborates with global leaders through the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to shape pivotal initiatives such as the UN’s AI for Humanity program, the United Nations Conference of the Parties (UN COP), and the World Economic Forum in Davos.
As the former Global Head of Cloud, National Security, and Enterprise Sales for companies including Atos, Dell-EMC, and IBM, Matthew has a proven track record of building multi-billion dollar business units and turning failing divisions into market leaders. His ability to identify, analyse, and communicate the implications of hundreds of emerging technologies and trends is unparalleled, and his insights are trusted by many of the world’s most respected organisations, including ABB, Accenture, Adidas, AON, ARM, BCG, Centrica, Citi, Coca-Cola, Dentons, Deloitte, Dow Jones, EY, Google, KPMG, Lego, Legal & General, LinkedIn, Microsoft, PepsiCo, Qualcomm, RWE, Samsung, Siemens AG and Siemens Energy, T-Mobile, UBS, VISA, Walmart, Workday, Worldpay and many others.
Regularly featured in the global media including the AP, BBC, Bloomberg, CNBC, Discovery, Forbes, Khaleej Times, Telegraph, TIME, ViacomCBS, WIRED, and the WSJ, Matthews mission is to help organisations create a fair and sustainable future whose benefits are shared by everyone irrespective of their ability, background, or circumstances.
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Sources and further reading
- IEEE Photonics ieeexplore.ieee.org
- KAUST kaust.edu.sa
- AlphaGalileo alphagalileo.org
Source: first published by the 311 Institute on 26 November 2022. Cite as: Griffin, M. (2022). New breakthrough could let smart windows replace Wi-Fi in your home. 311 Institute. https://www.311institute.com/new-breakthrough-could-let-smart-windows-replace-wi-fi-in-your-home/
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