Learn how to make your own smart home devices with Arduino, such as a smart thermostat, a smart lock, a smart light, a smart alarm, a smart plant, and a smart mirror.

My best learning experiences, especially when I first started working with the Arduino platform over 12 years ago (I’m starting to feel old now), came from diving into projects that solved my own problems instead of messing around with those one-size-fits-all kits that just do something kind of ‘meh’. Have a look around your place and spot something cool that you can build! It seriously ramps up your drive to get into it and stay motivated.

What are some smart home devices you can create with Arduino?

Arduino is a popular and versatile platform for creating your own smart home devices. With Arduino, you can use sensors, actuators, and communication modules to build custom gadgets that can automate, monitor, and control various aspects of your home. In this article, we will show you some examples of smart home devices you can create with Arduino, and how they work.

1 Smart Thermostat

A smart thermostat is a device that can adjust the temperature of your home based on your preferences, schedule, and external factors. You can create your own smart thermostat with Arduino by connecting a temperature sensor, a relay, and a LCD display. The temperature sensor can measure the ambient temperature and send it to the Arduino. The relay can switch on or off the heating or cooling system according to the desired temperature. The LCD display can show the current and target temperature, and allow you to change the settings. You can also add a WiFi module to connect your smart thermostat to the internet and control it remotely.

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Satyajit Sinha ✔

Director Sales/BD @ Enorme Global Electronics Pvt. Ltd.| Consumer Electronics+Home Appliances| Africa+Middle East+India Expertise
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1.Home Security System=Build a security system with Arduino. 2.Water Leak Detector=Build a sensor network to detect leaks or floods in your home. 3.Smart Garden Irrigation System=Design an irrigation system for your garden that automatically waters plants. 4.Smart Pet Feeder=Create a programmable pet feeder that dispenses food. 5.Energy Monitoring System=Build a system to monitor energy usage in your home. 6.Air Quality Monitor=Build a device that measures air quality parameters. 7.Automated Blinds or Curtains=Design a system that automatically opens and closes blinds or curtains. 8.Smart Lighting System=Create a lighting system that can be controlled wirelessly. 9.Smart Thermostat=Build a thermostat that can be controlled remotely.

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Kamal Kumar

Top LinkedIn Voice | AVP/NSM | Biz. Transformation Expert |Turning Challenges into Growth for Consumer Durables with GTM & Market Penetration | Published Thought Leader | Ex. LG, Samsung, Havells, Sharp
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You can create various smart home devices with Arduino, like a smart thermostat to regulate temperature, a smart door lock for keyless entry, a motion-activated light system for energy efficiency, a smart irrigation system for watering plants based on soil moisture levels, and a home security system with sensors to detect intrusions and send alerts to your phone. These devices enhance convenience, safety, and efficiency in your home.

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2 Smart Lock

A smart lock is a device that can lock or unlock your door using a code, a card, or a smartphone. You can create your own smart lock with Arduino by connecting a keypad, a servo motor, and a RFID reader. The keypad can allow you to enter a code to unlock the door. The servo motor can turn the lock mechanism. The RFID reader can scan a card or a tag to unlock the door. You can also add a Bluetooth module to connect your smart lock to your smartphone and unlock it with an app.

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3 Smart Light

A smart light is a device that can change the brightness and color of your light bulb according to your mood, time, or activity. You can create your own smart light with Arduino by connecting a LED strip, a potentiometer, and a button. The LED strip can produce different colors of light. The potentiometer can adjust the brightness of the light. The button can switch between different modes of light, such as warm, cool, or rainbow. You can also add a microphone to make your smart light react to sound or music.

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4 Smart Alarm

A smart alarm is a device that can wake you up with a pleasant sound and light. You can create your own smart alarm with Arduino by connecting a speaker, a LED ring, and a RTC module. The speaker can play a melody or a radio station. The LED ring can simulate a sunrise or a sunset. The RTC module can keep track of the time and trigger the alarm at the right moment. You can also add a button to snooze or stop the alarm.

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5 Smart Plant

A smart plant is a device that can monitor and water your plant automatically. You can create your own smart plant with Arduino by connecting a soil moisture sensor, a water pump, and a LCD display. The soil moisture sensor can measure the water level in the soil and send it to the Arduino. The water pump can deliver water to the plant when it is dry. The LCD display can show the status of the plant and the water level. You can also add a light sensor to measure the sunlight and adjust the watering accordingly.

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6 Smart Mirror

A smart mirror is a device that can display useful information and notifications on a mirror. You can create your own smart mirror with Arduino by connecting a LCD monitor, a two-way mirror, and a webcam. The LCD monitor can show the time, date, weather, news, calendar, and more. The two-way mirror can reflect your image and let the LCD monitor show through. The webcam can detect your face and gesture and allow you to interact with the smart mirror. You can also add a speaker to play music or voice commands.

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7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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Jason Flamos

Head of User Experience at RØDE
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My best learning experiences, especially when I first started working with the Arduino platform over 12 years ago (I’m starting to feel old now), came from diving into projects that solved my own problems instead of messing around with those one-size-fits-all kits that just do something kind of ‘meh’. Have a look around your place and spot something cool that you can build! It seriously ramps up your drive to get into it and stay motivated.

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Jobin George

Product Designer | Master's Design at IIT Guwahati | AIIMS Delhi NCAHT Fellow
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Energy Monitoring System: Track energy usage in your home and identify opportunities for energy savings. You can monitor electricity consumption of individual appliances and receive insights on optimizing energy efficiency.

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Benjamain Amadou

Software Engineer | C++, Java, Php | Qt, OpenCV, Arduino, Laravel
(edited)
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Learning embedded is not too hard these days, the first step is to get some basics knowledge of electronic and programming (an Arduino Kit is a good start). Build some projects from simple one to more complex gradually, build things that you may use in your everyday life, don't limit yourself to your knowledge, build devices using things you don't know is the best way to learn so you'll have at the end the double satisfaction of have built something and that thing is useful to you and surely will be useful to someone else (it can be the beginning of a professional career). Simple things may be useful, build devices that help and you'll be able to sell it, embedded is a great start for innovators.

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What are some smart home devices you can create with Arduino?

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2

3

4

5

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1 Smart Thermostat

2 Smart Lock

3 Smart Light

4 Smart Alarm

5 Smart Plant

6 Smart Mirror

7 Here’s what else to consider

Consumer Electronics

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What are some smart home devices you can create with Arduino?

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1 Smart Thermostat

2 Smart Lock

3 Smart Light

4 Smart Alarm

5 Smart Plant

6 Smart Mirror

7 Here’s what else to consider

Consumer Electronics

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