Brief
Build a smart home system that allows users to control and monitor various devices remotely. The Smart Home Automation System is an advanced Laravel based project built using Livewire components and tailwind CSS. It is designed to provide users with a centralised management platform for a variety of devices from various manufacturers.
The main concept was to select the manufacturer and filter a list of possible devices grouped by category. Then you are taken through a wizard to configure the device and allocate it to a room. Laravel would then be setup as an unauthenticated API so devices can simply post update requests to an audit log. There is middleware to ensure the IP of the device is within the IP range for the users home.
This makes it easier to control and monitor various smart devices within their homes. The system aims to integrate devices from different manufacturers, ensuring a cohesive and user-friendly experience for home automation.
Core Features
Too Many Apps: Smart devices will typically have an app to manage vendor devices. This can mean you need to install several vendor apps to connect and communicate with the device and not all apps provide the same functionality.
Device Control: Users can remotely control smart devices such as lights, thermostats, locks, and more through a user-friendly web interface or mobile app.
Automation: The system allows users to create automation rules, such as turning off lights when a room is empty or adjusting thermostat settings based on time and temperature.
Notifications: Users receive real-time notifications for events such as motion detection, door/window opening, or device status changes.
Energy Monitoring: The platform provides insights into energy consumption patterns, helping users make informed decisions about their energy usage.
Device Integration: The system supports a wide range of smart devices from different manufacturers, ensuring compatibility and flexibility.
Problems Facing Existing Solutions
Many smart home systems lack integration, making it difficult for users to manage devices from different manufacturers.
Device Fragmentation: Users often struggle with managing multiple smart devices from different manufacturers, leading to a disjointed experience.
Remote Access: Traditional automation solutions lack robust remote control options, limiting user convenience.
Complex Setup: Setting up automation rules can be complicated and intimidating for non-technical users.
Lack of Insights: Users lack actionable insights into their energy consumption patterns, hindering energy-saving efforts.
Compatibility Issues: Many smart home solutions are not interoperable, causing compatibility issues between devices.
Development Considerations
Modular Components: Develop each major feature as a separate module, allowing new features or integrations to be added without disrupting existing functionality. Also allows us to enable and disable modules based on criteria or selected plan.
Plugin System: Design a plugin architecture that enables developers to create and distribute custom automation rules, device integrations, or notification channels. This idea was more like a marketplace where integrations can be enabled and disabled.
Customisation Hooks: Incorporate hooks and filters within the codebase, allowing developers to customise the behavior and appearance of the system without modifying core files.
Model Observers: Implementing model observers allows us to hook into certain Laravel events and do something when the observer is triggered. This allows us to log device updates, user profile updates and additional security like alerting users when their password was changed and to verify they made the request before it’s processed.