When George Jetson walks into his house, the entire space-age home is equipped cater to his every need with the flick of a switch. But what if this could be a reality outside the world of animation? Thanks to Boston University researchers, LED smart lights might have the potential to turn entire homes into wireless communications systems that can meet home owners' every need - no Rosie the robot maid needed.

The National Science Foundation gave BU's College of Engineering a grant to develop wireless technology based on visible light back in 2008. This coming February, BU will host a conference on their progress with LED wireless technology entitled "Exploring the Boundaries of Smart Light Systems." The affiliated students and professor believe the project has endless possibilities.

"Imagine if your computer, iPhone, TV, radio and thermostat could all communicate with you when you walked in a room just by flipping the wall light switch and without the usual cluster of wires," BU Engineering professor, Thomas Little, said. "This could be done with an LED-based communications network that also provides light - all over existing power lines with low power consumption."

Little explains that LED lights would serve as access points for a home's network such that a wireless device within sight of an enabled LED could send and receive data though the air. The technology depends on the ability to qucikly turn LED lights on and off; flickering light patterns (undetected by the human eye) would enable data transmission.

In addition to exploring the potential for LED wireless households, the February 5-6 conference at Boston University will discuss smart light systems' potential benefits to disease detection and energy-efficiency.