Ogba
iotIntermediate

Building Smart Home Automations

The smart home revolution is here, and you can build it yourself. This 4-week intermediate course teaches you how to design, wire, program, and deploy real smart home automation systems using affordable IoT hardware like the ESP32, Arduino, sensors, and relays. You'll learn how devices communicate wirelessly, how to read environmental data (temperature, motion, light), and how to build automations that respond intelligently to real-world conditions. By the end of the course, you'll have built a working smart home prototype that you can control from your phone — and the skills to automate almost anything.

4 weeks4 weeks of contentOpen enrollment

$250

One-time payment · Lifetime access

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  • Flexible learning schedule
  • Certificate of completion
  • Expert instructor support
  • Hands-on projects

What You'll Learn

Understand the Internet of Things (IoT) and how smart home systems work
Program ESP32 and Arduino microcontrollers for home automation tasks
Connect and read data from sensors: temperature, humidity, motion, and light
Control appliances using relays, servos, and smart switches
Set up wireless communication using Wi-Fi and MQTT protocols
Build a mobile dashboard to monitor and control your smart home
Design automation rules: if motion detected → turn on lights, if temperature rises → activate fan
Understand home automation protocols and platforms (Home Assistant, Blynk)

Course Syllabus

1

Week 1

Introduction to IoT & Smart Home Fundamentals
  • What is the Internet of Things (IoT)? Key concepts and architecture
  • How smart homes work: sensors, controllers, actuators, and connectivity
  • Overview of popular smart home platforms (Home Assistant, Google Home, Alexa)
  • Introduction to the ESP32: a powerful Wi-Fi-enabled microcontroller
  • Setting up the Arduino IDE for ESP32 development
  • Reading data from temperature and humidity sensors (DHT11/DHT22)
  • Hands-on: Build a Wi-Fi-connected temperature and humidity monitor
2

Week 2

Sensors, Actuators & Controlling Devices
  • Motion detection using PIR sensors
  • Light sensing with LDR (Light Dependent Resistor) modules
  • Controlling appliances with relay modules: turning things on and off
  • Using servo motors for automated door locks and blinds
  • Introduction to MQTT: the messaging protocol for IoT
  • Setting up an MQTT broker for device communication
  • Hands-on: Build a motion-activated lighting system with MQTT notifications
3

Week 3

Wireless Dashboards & Automation Rules
  • Building a web-based dashboard for your smart home (Blynk or custom)
  • Controlling devices remotely from your phone
  • Creating automation rules: event-driven logic (if → then → else)
  • Scheduling automations: time-based triggers
  • Multi-sensor systems: combining motion, temperature, and light data
  • Introduction to Home Assistant for advanced automation
  • Hands-on: Build a smart room with automated lights, fan, and alerts
4

Week 4

Security, Scaling & Capstone Project
  • Smart home security: door sensors, cameras, and intrusion alerts
  • IoT security basics: protecting your smart home from hackers
  • Scaling your system: adding more rooms and devices
  • Energy monitoring and optimisation for smart homes
  • Planning your capstone smart home project
  • Building, testing, and demonstrating your smart home system
  • Final presentation: live demo of your working smart home prototype
Prerequisites
  • Basic understanding of electronics (LEDs, circuits, breadboards)
  • Some programming experience (variables, loops, conditions)
  • Completion of 'Introduction to Robotics' is helpful but not required
  • A laptop with internet access
Who This Is For
  • Hobbyists and makers who want to build their own smart home
  • Students interested in IoT and embedded systems careers
  • Robotics students wanting to apply skills to practical home projects
  • Electricians and technicians looking to add smart technology skills
  • Entrepreneurs exploring IoT product development
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