Light beams offer bright future for lighter-weight cars

Beams of light could one day replace the jumble of wires under a car bonnet, leading to lighter-weight and more fuel-efficient vehicles. And passengers in the back seat could also tap into rays of visible or infrared light to watch films or listen to music transmitted through their overhead lighting. University of Warwick scientists are pioneering research into optical wireless - where data signals travel through light - and its use in cars. Their research was presented at the recent International Conference on Transparent Optical Networks held at the University. Optical wireless can use just a basic LED, such as those used in torches, to send data. In situations where it's best for the beam to be invisible, infrared light can be used instead. While optical wireless has been explored for use in aviation for some time, scientists in the University of Warwick's Department of Engineering are leading the way globally in terms of its use in private vehicles.