Unlocking Potential: My DIY project house fusing AI + DePIN + smart home + renewable energy.

As a mildly nerdy person, visionary homeowner and technology enthusiast, I embarked on a journey to fuse some powerful forces within the walls of my private residence. Let me introduce you to my DePIN and smart home fusion project, built on a foundation of renewable energy and injected with some AI. In the ever-evolving landscape of technology, the intersection of artificial intelligence and Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Networks promises a harmonious symphony that redefines how we interact with our homes, or so I thought.

Where it all started:

We moved into a fairly old house, built in 1968 with a solid foundation but absolutely no tech. In fact it did not even have a modern heating system and we basically started from scratch. After installing heating, laying water pipes and redoing all the electricity, things got a little out of hand in preparation for bigger things to come. Over 1700 meters Cat7 Ethernet Cable found its way into the walls before we started painting them. With the electric upgrades needed to facilitate a roof full of solar panels and three vertical wind turbines, it was not really a big challenge to expand this infrastructure to a server room that some smaller businesses might feel outmatched by. To realize all my smart home ideas I ended up north of 700 devices alone on my local area network, because just as a simple example, each window can easily end up with more than 6 devices. Each single frame of a window needs a sensor to declare if it is open or closed, a motor to open or close it, a temperature and humidity sensor, a sensor for light measurement, a sensor to detect breaking glass and act as alarm and a motor to control the automated window shade. For more sophisticated ideas even more.

My exposure to IoT and DePIN:

Currently I participate in 83 projects that are either classified DePINs or at least “incentivized running of hardware” based on IoT, node work and information relay. In total I own over 2000 devices where most of them are hosted at different locations in Germany. In some ecosystems I only have two or three units, in others I have a fleet over 200 units.

Setup in my house:

I try to run at least one of each kind in my house and as it is far too much I can not list everything here, but will dive into the core setup on foundation layer that I consider the DePIN backbone of my house:

- I use arkreen smart meters to monitor solar generation and also use their smart plugs to monitor consumption and balance it. I am actually using Arkreen with more things that are still in the secret development stage.

- I use the Wicrypt Gigabit Lan router with my pfsense firewall to create a separate network for my DePIN device layer.

- I use over 12 Fry Networks cameras to monitor weather, traffic, wildlife and act like a security system. I also use their radiation, air quality, and decibel miners to draft different metrics of interest, while I also use their GNSS devices to make comparisons on data pulls of my regional mapdraft and verify the location of my cat (don’t ask!).

- I run Streamr Network nodes as the baselayer on my bigger machines that also facilitate FryFoundation BYOD licenses and a raid for our internal network and let them aggregate the data of my light sensorics.

- I use my Ambient Network sensors to collect hyperlocal metrics but also control room climate in two problematic areas of the house.

- The most other DePIN units I use are usually standalone like the Wingbits or GEODNET device, but some also have added utility like my Helium installation that gives me reasonable LoraWan capacities on sensorics.

- While they almost act insular, having actual blockchain nodes from different chains always comes with the advantage to run certain automations based on a certain chain through your own node.

The next generation of Smart Homes

Driven by the integration of AI and DePIN, DIY paves the way for the development of smart homes. My project, affectionately named “eco node fusion,” utilizes decentralized sensor networks to transform urban living. Here’s how:

1. Monitor Traffic Flow vegetation: Sensors operating on DePIN analyze real-time traffic data, not just cars driving by, but also humans and animals passing over my property. Cameras add different factor measurements.
2. Enhanced Safety: Cameras detect anomalies, alerting my family and emergency services instantly. Whether it’s a break-in or a fire, your smart home can become a vigilant guardian.
3. Energy Efficiency: DePIN-powered sensors monitor energy consumption, optimizing lighting, heating, and cooling. Your home adapts to your needs while minimizing waste.
4. Seamless Integration: Smart homes seamlessly integrate with decentralized technologies. From managing your smart appliances to securing your data, monitoring energy flow but also network load ensures a cohesive experience.

Incentivized Infrastructure Growth

The collaboration between AI and DePIN introduces a novel approach to infrastructure development — one that is incentivized and community-driven. By pooling computational and storage capacities from various sources, we create a robust ecosystem. Imagine contributing to this ecosystem and receiving tokens in return, directly impacting the growth of AI services within your home.

The Promise of DePIN

DePIN disrupts monopolies held by tech giants like Microsoft, Google, and Amazon. It decentralizes wealth and control associated with infrastructure development. As we move forward, DePIN will be one of the most critical areas of investment. Legacy cloud infrastructure, with its $5 trillion global market cap, faces disruption as DePIN reshapes the landscape.

So, welcome to the future — where your home isn’t just smart; it’s a living, breathing entity powered by AI and DePIN. As I fine-tune an ever growing and over engineered DIY project within my private house, I invite you to envision a world where technology serves us all, not just the few. Together, we unlock the potential of decentralized infrastructure, one smart home at a time.

“I am not an influencer or entrepreneur, I just consider myself an advocate for decentralized technologies and renewable energy, trying to bridge the gap between cutting-edge innovations and everyday life.” Merlin M. Ostermann