Non Line-of-Sight Optical Wireless Communication using Neuromorphic Cameras

Neuromorphic or event cameras, inspired by biological vision systems, capture changes in illumination with high temporal resolution and efficiency, producing streams of events rather than traditional images. In this paper, we explore the use of neuromorphic cameras for passive optical wireless communication (OWC), leveraging their asynchronous detection of illumination changes to decode data transmitted through reflections of light from objects. We propose a novel system that utilizes neuromorphic cameras for passive visible light communication (VLC), extending the concept to Non Line-of-Sight (NLoS) scenarios through passive reflections from everyday objects. Our experiments demonstrate the feasibility and advantages of using neuromorphic cameras for VLC, characterizing the performance of various modulation schemes, including traditional On-Off Keying (OOK) and advanced N-pulse modulation. We introduce an adaptive N-pulse modulation scheme that dynamically adjusts encoding based on the packet's bit composition, achieving higher data rates and robustness in different scenarios. Our results show that lighter-colored, glossy objects are better for NLoS communication, while larger objects and those with matte finishes experience higher error rates due to multipath reflections.