Study, design and management of a smart home

Abstract

Smart homes provide significant conveniences for users, offering a high level of luxury through the use of modern technology and techniques to enhance comfort, security, and safety. However, the smart home typically requires a constant connection to the internet and electricity. Moreover, most applications are available in foreign languages, which deprives remote houses, distant work sites, as well as people with special needs and the elderly from the benefits of smart homes. Therefore, the main objective of this work was to solve these problems by creating a home control system that combines automated control and an application we programmed. This system allows controlling of interior and exterior lighting, opening/closing doors, issuing gas, smoke, and fire alerts, and opening windows as a precautionary measure. In case of rain, the windows will be closed automatically to prevent water leakage in to the house. Additionally, it includes automatic control of water consumption and storage. The developed smart home prototype features a smart camera that reacts to any movement, directing its elf towards the movement and dis playing the video on a phone and a computer with zoom, recording, lighting, and other features. Furthermore, the smartphone application allows remote control using buttons or voice commands in Arabic, English, and other languages upon request, thereby integrating deprived cases and persons with special needs into the smart home technology. Notably, the designed and realized smart home operates on clean, renewable photovoltaic energy. In addition, it has a system against water and energy waste, which makes it contribute to water, energy, food and health security.