A method for detecting an object using visible light, comprising: providing a visible-light source in the form of one or more white light-emitting diodes adapted to emit visible light having a first function of being visible to a person in an illumination mode; connecting a source controller to the visible-light source; actuating the visible-light source to emit visible light in the illumination mode to illuminate an environment, characterized in that the one or more white light-emitting diodes are one or more white phosphorescent light-emitting diodes and it further comprises: driving the one or more white phosphorescent light-emitting diodes with the source controller to emit visible light in a predetermined mode, the emitted visible light comprising a detectable signal, with visible light in the predetermined mode being emitted such that the one or more white phosphorescent light-emitting diodes maintains said first function of being visible to an unaided human eye while being driven by the source controller; said driving comprising combining both modulation and pulsing to provide a signature modulation to the emitted light, wherein the modulation is carried out a frequency exceeding 100 Hz, receiving a reflection or backscatter of the emitted visible light from an object, wherein said receiving the reflection or backscatter comprises filtering the reflection or backscatter to blue; and calculating a distance of the object as a function of the reflection or backscatter received and of the predetermined mode. providing a visible-light source in the form of one or more white light-emitting diodes adapted to emit visible light having a first function of being visible to a person in an illumination mode; connecting a source controller to the visible-light source; actuating the visible-light source to emit visible light in the illumination mode to illuminate an environment, characterized in that the one or more white light-emitting diodes are one or more white phosphorescent light-emitting diodes and it further comprises: driving the one or more white phosphorescent light-emitting diodes with the source controller to emit visible light in a predetermined mode, the emitted visible light comprising a detectable signal, with visible light in the predetermined mode being emitted such that the one or more white phosphorescent light-emitting diodes maintains said first function of being visible to an unaided human eye while being driven by the source controller; said driving comprising combining both modulation and pulsing to provide a signature modulation to the emitted light, wherein the modulation is carried out a frequency exceeding 100 Hz, receiving a reflection or backscatter of the emitted visible light from an object, wherein said receiving the reflection or backscatter comprises filtering the reflection or backscatter to blue; and calculating a distance of the object as a function of the reflection or backscatter received and of the predetermined mode. driving the one or more white phosphorescent light-emitting diodes with the source controller to emit visible light in a predetermined mode, the emitted visible light comprising a detectable signal, with visible light in the predetermined mode being emitted such that the one or more white phosphorescent light-emitting diodes maintains said first function of being visible to an unaided human eye while being driven by the source controller; said driving comprising combining both modulation and pulsing to provide a signature modulation to the emitted light, wherein the modulation is carried out a frequency exceeding 100 Hz, receiving a reflection or backscatter of the emitted visible light from an object, wherein said receiving the reflection or backscatter comprises filtering the reflection or backscatter to blue; and calculating a distance of the object as a function of the reflection or backscatter received and of the predetermined mode.