Exploring Secure Visible Light Communication in Next-generation (6G) Internet-of-Things

This article presents a comprehensive survey of visible light communication (VLC) between devices in 6G internet of things (IoT) architecture. For effective stationary and mobile device-to-device communication in both indoors and outdoors, VLC is envisaged as a technique that can enable a robust and inexpensive, interference and radiation-free IoT communications. Whereas the demands on the growth in IoT network traffic and expanded verticals are met through 5G, 5G+ and beyond 5G (B5G); communication between two IoT devices in close vicinity without resorting to radio frequency (RF) spectrum usage is still a challenging problem and lies at a crucial research stage. One potential solution is to resort to optical wireless communication (OWC), especially VLC to venture into alternatives to radio frequency (RF) communication. In this article, we aim to bridge the gap between VLC and its applications in IoT through a comprehensive survey of VLC and its applications in IoT. We begin with an introduction to IoT and emerging verticals such as internet-of-metasurfaces, internet-of-reflecting-surfaces, internet-of-nanothings, internet-of-bionanomaterials, and internet-of-space-things. Based on the current survey, several recommendations for further research are discussed at the end of this article.