IOT Based Home Automation System over Cloud

Abstract

The proposed home automation system capitalizes on the NodeMCU board\'s versatility and the Arduino IoT Cloud platform\'s capabilities to establish a robust and efficient solution. This powerful combination enables seamless connectivity, real-time data exchange, and remote control of home devices via the internet and Alexa Voice Assistance integration. Users can effortlessly monitor and manage their homes from anywhere using web or mobile interfaces, offering unparalleled flexibility. The IoT home automation system encompasses essential features such as device control, energy management, security, and environmental monitoring. Leveraging the Arduino IoT Cloud platform, users gain easy access to configure and personalize their automation settings. They can establish custom rules and receive notifications based on predefined events or specific conditions, enhancing their overall automation experience.

Introduction

I. INTRODUCTION

In this research paper, we delve into the concept of IoT-based home automation over the cloud, exploring its potential benefits and associated challenges. Our study begins by introducing the essential elements of an IoT home automation system, including sensors, devices, cloud platforms, and communication protocols. We then delve into the advantages that cloud-based solutions bring to IoT home automation, such as improved scalability, flexibility, and enhanced security measures. Furthermore, we thoroughly analyse the challenges that arise during the development and deployment of such systems. These challenges encompass aspects like data privacy, interoperability, and reliability. The advent of the Internet of Things (IoT) has revolutionized our interactions with the environment, particularly within our homes.

The integration of smart devices and appliances has given rise to home automation systems that grant us control and monitoring capabilities for various aspects of our living spaces, even from a remote location. While traditional home automation systems were limited by their reliance on on-premise infrastructure, the cloud has opened up new avenues for IoT-based home automation. Through cloud-based solutions, homeowners can conveniently monitor and control their homes using mobile devices or computers, offering enhanced convenience and flexibility.

II. LITERATURE SURVEY

The following statements emerge from an examination of various authors' works and are disclosed within this realm of literary analysis.

1. Arpit Yekhande, Prof. Kapil Misal in 2017 provided security factor and authenticated control for devices in home which can be done by portable devices like mobile phones. The Raspberry Pi is used as microcontroller to connect it with the peripherals.
2. Abhijit Shejal, Amit Pethkar, Akash Zende, Pratyusha Awate, Prof. Sudhir. G. Mane in 2019 proposed a model device were controlled with user needs and demands. This method is flexible and user friendly. In this smart switching concept is used to control the home appliances through mobile app.
3. Sudha Kousalya, G  Reddi, Priya Vasanthi, B  Venkatesh in 2018 developed an architecture for smart home and   monitor systems by Arduino and gives basic idea to control appliances and provide security.
4. K  Eswari, DeviK  Shravani, M  Kalyani,  Mr. Abbas  Hussain, Mrs. N Gayathri in 2020 configured a light sensor to detect the presence of human and turning on LED’s. The lights and fans are the main appliances which are controlled through Wi-fi technology.
5. Bouzid Amine, Chaib  Zohra,  Hamani Ilyes , Aid  Lahcen, Allaoui Tayeb in 2018 given a smart technology which give different level of standard. The fully automatic system are essential part of comfort living. They used Arduino UNO R3 with the programmable ATmega328 microcontroller.

III. METHODOLOGY

The IoT-based home automation system over the Arduino IoT Cloud works by integrating various components, including NodeMCU board, relay modules, optocouplers, and the Arduino IoT Cloud platform, and Amazon Alexa Voice Assistance to enable remote control and monitoring of home devices and appliances by voice commands. Here's an overview of how the system operates:

1. Hardware Setup: The system involves connecting NodeMCU board to the devices and appliances you want to control or monitor within your home with 4 channel relay module. This includes lights, fans, motors, soil sensors. The board act as the interface between these devices and the IoT system.
2. Arduino IoT Cloud Platform: The Arduino IoT Cloud platform provides the necessary infrastructure for managing and controlling the connected devices. It allows to securely connect NodeMCU to the cloud, enabling remote access and communication.
3. Device Registration: To integrate a device with the Arduino IoT Cloud, it need to register it on the platform. This involves specifying the device type, capabilities, and desired functionality. The Arduino IoT Cloud provides a user-friendly interface for managing and configuring devices.
4. Data Acquisition: Sensors connected to the NodeMCU board collect data from the surrounding environment. For example, a soil moisture sensor may measure the soil moisture. The NodeMCU board process this data and send it to the Arduino IoT Cloud for storage and analysis.
5. Device Control: The Arduino IoT Cloud platform allows to define rules and logic for controlling home devices. Using the IOT Remote App or Amazon Alexa mobile interface, which can create custom automation routines based on triggers, conditions, and actions. For instance, it can set a rule to turn on the lights when motion is detected in a specific area.
6. Remote Monitoring: Through the Arduino IoT Cloud, it is possible to remotely monitor the status and data of connected devices. This includes viewing real-time sensor readings, device states, and any notifications or alerts generated by the system. The cloud platform provides a convenient and centralized dashboard for accessing and managing this information.
7. Cloud-to-Device Communication: The Arduino IoT Cloud acts as a bridge between the cloud and the connected devices. It facilitates bidirectional communication, allowing user to send commands from the cloud to the devices for control purposes. For example, user can remotely turn off a device or adjust its settings.

IV.  SOFTWARE INTERFACE

To connect and upload code from a NodeMCU to the Arduino IoT Cloud platform, first start by creating an Arduino IoT Cloud account and setting up the platform by adding a new device, specifying the name and board type as NodeMCU. Configure the Arduino IDE by adding the ESP8266 platform URL and selecting the NodeMCU board. Open the Arduino IoT Cloud sketch example, configure the WiFi credentials and Thing ID in the sketch. Connect the NodeMCU to the computer via USB and upload the sketch. Monitor the serial output using the Arduino IDE's Serial Monitor to check for any issues. By verify the connection on the Arduino IoT Cloud platform, where user should see the NodeMCU device listed as "Connected." Once connected, we can control and monitor the NodeMCU-based IoT device through the Arduino IoT Cloud platform, defining properties, creating dashboards, and implementing automation rules for interaction with the connected NodeMCU.

V. RESULTS

The IoT-based Home Automation system proved its efficacy in wirelessly controlling and monitoring home appliances, while enabling real-time data storage and control. The seamless connection between devices and sensors was facilitated by integrating NodeMCU and the 4-Channel relay module, ensuring reliable data acquisition and transmission.

By leveraging the Arduino IoT Cloud Platform, users could switch appliances on and off and monitor sensor data from any internet-capable device. The water pump control relied on the soil moisture sensor connected to NodeMCU, which measured soil humidity. Other appliances were connected to the relay module, allowing users to control them through the Arduino IoT Dashboard. Real-time data was easily accessible through the IoT Cloud Dashboard and the Alexa App on smartphones, tablets, and laptops, granting users convenient control and communication with their home appliances.

Overall, this project demonstrated the effectiveness and practicality of an IoT-based home automation system over the cloud, enabling seamless connectivity, device control, and monitoring within a smart home environment. It empowers users to automate routines, improve energy efficiency, and manage their homes remotely, providing enhanced convenience and comfort. 

Conclusion

Based on an extensive research on NodeMCU and Relays, the selection of the 12V 4 Channel Relay Module was driven by its ability to effectively control desired outcomes and its compatibility with modern IoT systems. This module was utilized to centralize device management and simplify complex structures. The implementation of the Home Automation algorithm in C language exhibited minimal errors, resulting in a seamless operation. Leveraging IoT for Home Automation offers significant advantages, including substantial electricity savings and increased cost efficiency. In today\'s fully automated environment, automation systems and wireless devices have become integral to our daily lives. The objective of this project was to wirelessly manipulate and control various appliances and devices. The ultimate goal was to develop a system that could wirelessly control home appliances through programming in the Arduino IoT Cloud Platform and integration with the Alexa voice assistant mobile app. While this project only covers a fraction of real-world scenarios, its outcomes hold immense potential for smart home systems and a wide range of IoT and voice assistant-based applications in global organizations.

References

[1] Yekhande, A., Misal, K. \"Home Automation System Using Raspberry Pi.\" International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology (IRJET), vol. 10, Oct 2017. [2] Shejal, A., Pethkar, A., Zende, A., Awate, P., Mane, S. G. \"Designing of Smart Switch for Home Automation.\" International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology (IRJET), vol. 05, May 2019. [3] Kousalya, S., Reddi, G., Vasanthi, P., Venkatesh, B. \"IoT Based Smart Security and Smart Home Automation.\" International Journal of Engineering Research & Technology, vol. 04, April 2018. [4] Eswari, K., Shravani, D. K., Kalyani, M., Hussain, A., Gayathri, N. \"Real-Time Implementation of Light and Fan Automation using Arduino.\" International Journal for Research in Applied Science & Engineering Technology (IJRASET), June 2020. [5] Mohamed Amine, B., Zohra, C. F., Ilyes, H., Lahcen, A., Tayeb, A. \"Smart Home Automation System.\" International Journal of Robotics and Automation (IJRA), Dec. 2018. [6] http://www.ieee.org/ [7] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NodeMCU [8] https://projecthub.arduino.cc/trending

Copyright

Copyright © 2023 Prof. N.A. Dawande, Ravikant Morye, Dinesh Sarode, Nisar Siddiqui. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.