Visible Light Communications through Diffusive Illumination of Sculptures in a Real Museum

The recent, massive diffusion of LED-based illumination devices makes Visible Light Communications (VLC) a widely recognised wireless communication technology with large potential impact in many indoor and outdoor applications. In the scenario, one most promising VLC implementations is foreseen museums, exhibitions cultural heritage sites. this context, digital data can be transmitted by specific lighting system each artwork received nearby standing visitors, allowing complete set dedicated services such as augmented reality (AR) real-time positioning, exploiting directionality optical channel. work, we achieve, for first time, transmission through diffusive LED three-dimensional artworks (wooden marble sculptures) real museum, available system, demonstrating feasibility also when complex artworks, sculptures or bas-reliefs, are involved. our experimental campaign, performed inside Basilica Santa Maria Novella Florence, perform extensive Packet Error Rate (PER) Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) tests on two important wooden (Crucifix Brunelleschi Holy Water Font Bordoni, respectively), different distances, view angles configurations, order to mimic wide situations that visitors may encounter realistic scenario. We achieve successful distances up 8 m from at baud rate 28 kBaud. provide detailed results characterization Field View (FoV) prototype, well effect side shifts observer’s position quality transmission, providing essential information future positioning protocols realistic, scenarios. Our work represents an step forward towards deployment museums and, more general, it opens far-reaching developments environments, including sector, where links objects could represent ground-breaking innovation.