smart home solutions

IoT and smart home solutions gain a significant interest among mobile users, as controllable devices and IT-industry in the whole are getting more and more open and accessible to the general public. Some ready-made solutions and expert-level DIYs exist on the web.

However, our IoT developers at Gravum believe this topic still needs some clarifications and extended coverage. Smart home solutions are one of the most expected IoT trends in 2020

Let’s figure out how to build your smart home IoT software solution, discover the main modules and their implementation.

Internet Of Things Smart Home Solution: Custom Or Ready-Made

We are living in a time of truly fascinating technological progress. Many IoT smart home systems and controllers are available on the market. Whether it’s an Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant, you can build and implement your smart home with no coding knowledge whatsoever.

Nevertheless, custom solutions come with a broad range of edges over the ready-made ones:

  • Flexibility. You can implement all your ideas into the project and are not bound by interface limitations of the famous controllers;
  • Security. Maybe you don’t want to share or expose your data to external services. If so, a custom solution can protect your data by narrowing the list of services able to access your data;
  • Cost-effectiveness. As long as the custom development implies countless alternatives to modules, devices, and other consumables, you can create a pretty reasonably priced project.

With that said, if you strive for flexibility, security, have a limited budget and don’t mind a little bit of DIY, opt for a custom IoT smart home solution.

IoT And Smart Home Development: Modules Worth Considering

Now, smart home and Internet of Things systems consist of various modules connected and controlled via the central device operating as a router. Before we dive into the software development peculiarities, let’s discover the Internet of Things smart home modules you may find useful.

Air Conditioning

Getting back home in a chill apartment or a house in the middle of a hot summer is an incredible feeling. Unfortunately, we often have to wait for half an hour for our home to chill, as we turn the AC manually once we are getting past the doorstep.

Installing an IR-beam launcher module in front of your AC may be a perfect solution to address the issue. Connecting it with a cable or over WI-FI to the central device would allow constant control over your home air temperature.

Music System

IoT and smart home products may be a handy solution for music lovers. If you listen to your favorite music often enough, you can find it a bit inconvenient or even irritating to leave your smartphone near the music center. The thing is, cables and Bluetooth are often not a perfect connection method for large households. Moreover, there can be several music devices working separately you want to combine.

Here are the most substantial benefits of implementing the music control functionality in your IoT smart home:

  • Freedom of movement. No more need to leave your favorite mobile device just because your music center is imperfect;
  • Ability to connect multiple devices. It is extremely nice to have multiple devices playing your music simultaneously in a large house or apartment.

Lighting System

A smart lighting system can considerably reduce your electricity bills by taking your consumption habits under control. To start with, it can simply turn the lights off by a timeout of, let’s say, 30 seconds of inactivity in the room.

Now, you might be thinking: what if I just lay in bed motionless? Here’s the kicker: you can configure it. Our Gravum IoT experts believe that the core advantage of a custom solution is its configurable nature. So when it comes to custom functionality and logic, the sky’s the limit.

One more feature of the smart home IoT lighting system is the ability to switch lights on and off manually. We all remember times when we are already in a warm bed, and the lights are still on. This is not a problem if you have a smart home system, as you can switch it off via your smartphone.

iot smart home developmentSmart Home System Development: System Architecture

As far as the system architecture is concerned, here are the points you should bear in mind when developing an IoT and smart home project:

  • Consider having a central device. Having a device functioning as a router will simplify the interaction of devices within the system. Your remote controller sends a query to the central device, and it sends the processed data to the module you’ve requested;
  • Implement the authorization system. You have to think through the authentication to prevent unauthorized access. It is up to you whether to use login/pass combination, device ID or any other alternative;
  • Develop a handy dashboard. Place your AC temperature, music player, and lighting control menu on your dashboard. This can improve your user experience tremendously;
  • Aim for scalability. Smart home solutions often expand unexpectedly. Invest your time in writing flexible multi-purpose protocols and methods to save more and more time as your project scales.

The Bottom Line

The smart home system is a true challenge for an engineer. However, such a solution can serve you for decades, bringing joy and ultimate convenience to your household.

If you are looking for quality and cost-effective IoT development outsourcing services, drop a line to our IoT professionals at Gravum. We have extensive expertise in Internet of Things solutions and always deliver satisfying results to our clients. Choose Gravum as your IoT and smart home solutions developer, invest in your smart home system reliance and home comfort.