Performance Evaluation of an Integrated System for Visible Light Communication and Positioning Using an Event Camera

2025-10-20

AI Summary

To address the challenge of jointly achieving vehicle self-localization and high-capacity communication in GPS-denied environments (e.g., tunnels), this paper proposes a visible light communication and positioning (VLC/VLP) fusion system based on an event camera. The method synchronously realizes multi-LED MISO communication and phase-only correlation (POC)-based ranging on a single event camera: LED sources are distinguished using Walsh–Hadamard codes, while LED blinking patterns encode both position information and enable distance estimation. Real-vehicle experiments demonstrate robust performance under dynamic conditions—achieving a root-mean-square error (RMSE) of less than 0.75 m in distance estimation and a bit error rate (BER) below 0.01 within a 100-m range at 30 km/h. The core contribution lies in the tightly coupled, event-driven co-design and synchronous implementation of VLC and VLP, enabling efficient, low-latency, and resource-constrained joint communication and localization.

Technology Category

• Computer Vision: Language and Vision
• Intelligent Robots: State Estimation
• Planning, Routing, and Scheduling: Optimization of Spatio-temporal Systems

Application Category

• Systems and Infrastructure for Web, Mobile and WoT: Location- and context-aware Web and WoT applications and services
• Security and Privacy: Large-scale security measurements
• Search and Retrieval-Augmented AI: Vertical and domain-specific search

Abstract

Event cameras, featuring high temporal resolution and high dynamic range, offer visual sensing capabilities comparable to conventional image sensors while capturing fast-moving objects and handling scenes with extreme lighting contrasts such as tunnel exits. Leveraging these properties, this study proposes a novel self-localization system that integrates visible light communication (VLC) and visible light positioning (VLP) within a single event camera. The system enables a vehicle to estimate its position even in GPS-denied environments, such as tunnels, by using VLC to obtain coordinate information from LED transmitters and VLP to estimate the distance to each transmitter. Multiple LEDs are installed on the transmitter side, each assigned a unique pilot sequence based on Walsh-Hadamard codes. The event camera identifies individual LEDs within its field of view by correlating the received signal with these codes, allowing clear separation and recognition of each light source. This mechanism enables simultaneous high-capacity MISO (multi-input single-output) communication through VLC and precise distance estimation via phase-only correlation (POC) between multiple LED pairs. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first vehicle-mounted system to achieve simultaneous VLC and VLP functionalities using a single event camera. Field experiments were conducted by mounting the system on a vehicle traveling at 30 km/h (8.3 m/s). The results demonstrated robust real-world performance, with a root mean square error (RMSE) of distance estimation within 0.75 m for ranges up to 100 m and a bit error rate (BER) below 0.01 across the same range.

Problem

• Develops integrated visible light communication and positioning system
• Enables vehicle self-localization in GPS-denied environments
• Uses event camera for simultaneous distance estimation and data transmission

Innovation

• Integrated VLC and VLP system using event camera
• Unique Walsh-Hadamard codes for LED identification
• Phase-only correlation enables precise distance estimation