Project brief
A comprehensive home automation ecosystem built around ESP32-based wireless nodes, a Raspberry Pi 4 running Mosquitto MQTT broker and Node-RED, and a custom Flutter mobile application for iOS and Android. The system controls lights, HVAC, smart plugs, door locks, security cameras, and garden irrigation, with integration to Amazon Alexa and Google Home for voice control.
The project narrative emphasizes local coordination and device integration. The diagram explains message flow rather than demonstrating the actual installed environment.
The engineering challenge
Keep home device control, automation rules, and user interfaces coherent across a distributed network.
Engineering approach
- Use wireless nodes for sensing and actuation with a local MQTT hub.
- Express automation scenes through the stated Node-RED layer.
- Connect device state, mobile control, and firmware management to the local system.
Features & capabilities
- 60+ smart devices across all home zones (lighting, HVAC, security, appliances)
- Custom Flutter mobile app (iOS & Android) with real-time device status
- Alexa + Google Assistant skill integration via custom cloud backend
- Per-circuit energy monitoring with 15-minute granularity and analytics
- Automated scenes: wake-up, movie, away, security modes
- Presence detection via WiFi fingerprint and PIR sensor fusion
- Local-first architecture — works without internet after setup
- OTA firmware updates for all ESP32 nodes via WiFi
Software & engineering tools
ESP32-S3, Mosquitto MQTT, Node-RED, Flutter 3.16, Firebase, Amazon Alexa SDK, OpenCV for camera motion detection