ECE 110/120 Honors Lab Section : IoT Switch Toggler

Statement of Purpose

In the age of IoT, home automation has become ever so popular. However, due to exorbitant costs, it is not a feasible option for many. Our goal is to develop an affordable, easy-to-use home automation device that snaps over switchboards and outlets as an alternative to existing home automation systems. 

Background Research

While brainstorming, we decided to figure out a way to automate our dorm rooms. We needed to come up with a solution that wouldn't require access to the room's electrical wiring, which ruled out the use of transistors and relays. We then came up with the idea of creating a device that could externally toggle the light switch.  We realized that this product, if made cheap and easy-to-use, could be a game-changer and target a wide demographic. Upon doing some research we found out that products such as SwitchMate have similar functionalities. However, in addition to features such as light control through an app, and timers, we plan on incorporating features such as motion sensing to turn on lights, and auto turn-on at night time. We also believe we would be able to manufacture it at a fraction of the cost

Block Diagram / Flow Chart

System Overview

First, the user selects one of three modes (Regular mode, night mode, motion sense mode). This can either be done through the app or through buttons on the device. Depending on the mode, if the user decides to turn the switch on (either through app or device), if it gets dark, or if motion is sensed, the servo motor rotates to toggle the switch on. The switch is then toggled off when the user decides to turn it off, when it gets light again, or when the user leaves the room. 

Parts

Possible Challenges

Developing an app capable of executing ALL the features planned

Scaling down the prototype into a small, compact device

Switching from Bluetooth to wifi

3d printing the outer casing

Creating a PCB specifically meant for the product rather than using an Arduino

References

List all references you used in your proposal. This is important, you do not want to be blamed for plagiarism. IEEE citation format is highly recommended. You can use citethisforme.com's IEEE citation generator to painlessly generate your references in this style.