Proof of Concept for Automated Electrical Appliances Operation Via Android Voice-Controlled

Abstract

: Internet of Things (IoT) is a concept developed to enable remote accessibility via Internet to control and monitor devices that are connected to it. Switches that are used to control the on-and-off operation of household appliances, may cause electrocution if they are touched with wet hands and sometimes, the elderly or disabled person’s hands could not reach the switches due to their installation location that are usually mounted at certain heights on the walls. The goal of this project is to execute a proof of concept (PoC) development that will demonstrate the feasibility of automatic electrical appliances operation via verbal instructions. In this PoC development, a programmed NodeMCU ESP8266 microcontroller is integrated with a Google Assistant platform and If This, Then That (IFTTT) application to receive verbal commands to turn on and off light-emitting diodes (LEDs) automatically. Through a pilot test on the integration of hardware and software development, this project has successfully enabled turning on and off lights by using voice instructions in less than 4 seconds in quiet surroundings. Meanwhile, less than 7 seconds were required to automate the operation of the lights in noisy surroundings. With the success of functionality proof, it is anticipated that this PoC could be realized in terms of prototype development on real electrical loads such as ceiling lights, bulbs and wall fans and would certainly benefit society with the affordable deployment of home automation.