Show Idea: Home Automation On The Cheap

[azmrbiggles]

Create an episode about automating some stuff around the house using inexpensive (read cheap) parts.

1. Internet enable a garage door closer/opener (for when you forget to close it).
2. Simple sensor to check the mail.
3. Internet enabled door unlock.
4. Internet enabled outlets that could be disabled (a la "the clapper") so you won't leave the iron on.


Thoughts?

[bani-banan]

I'm thinking RFID, webcams hooked up to a apache-server and a modded Nokia 3310

[masherscf]

maybe even use gumstix for a project or two.

http://www.gumstix.com/

[tacticsiege]

I post to support this idea! I have long wanted a super high tech house/apt.

[dosbomber]

I built a garage door closer system back in '05.

I designed mine as a replacement for the cheapo in-garage button that toggles the door. I used a 12v back lit "arcade game" button as the new manual switch (looks nice in a dark garage), and added a microcontroller (PIC) to detect the open door, wait X minutes (a jumper/header position determines the delay), then fire the button (5V relay) to close the door on its own.

Three doors means three identical devices, daisy-chained together, sending to and receiving data from a main unit which is really just a wireless serial transceiver which allows me to check the doors and change variables from my computer (the garage system isn't Internet accessible).

There's also a manual override switch to stop the automatic closing process (when working on the car, sometimes you want the door open), and a small speaker to give a warning tone (beeps) before it closes. There's a standard 4-conductor phone line between each of the boxes to handle +12V, Ground, Data In, and Data Out. Because the door devices are daisy-chained together, each of them is coded with an address (another jumper/header array) so it knows if it's supposed to obey a command issued by the main unit, and so the main unit knows who is reporting a status message.

Lately I've noticed a bad habit of leaving the overhead lights on when working out there... maybe I need another unit to cycle a servo to push the light switches down after awhile... hmmm....

That might be neat to hook to an old pc to do the same plus record when the door is open and closed. Add a nic and you could get the status from the internet. Then you would also know when a teenager came home the night before.

[mad_jihad]

Ahh i quiver at the thought of people hacking my door through the internet lol...

Who says they have to know?