Design and Validation of a Multifunctional Android-Based Smart Home Control and Monitoring System

Abstract

Users often need to control and monitor the environmental variables of their homes, even when they are not at home. In this paper, we present a multifunctional, low-cost, and flexible system for smart home control and environmental monitoring. This system employs an embedded micro web server based on an Arduino Yún microcontroller with Internet connectivity that allows remote device control. The proposed system can be controlled via the Internet through an Android-based mobile app. To guarantee access regardless of Internet availability, the proposed system can also be controlled via standalone manual operation using a touch display. The proposed system transmits sensor data to a cloud platform and can receive commands from the server, allowing many devices to be automatically controlled. To demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of this system, devices such as light switches, power plugs, and various sensors, including temperature, gas, 2.5-μm particulate matter (PM2.5) and motion sensors, were integrated into a prototype of the proposed home control system. Finally, we implemented the prototype in a model home to validate the flexibility, scalability, usability and reliability of the system.