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Chlorophyll Smart Home

Chlorophyll was an expandable system I developed, so I could convert standard electrical switches in my home into "smart" units.

Demo

Software Components

• Firebase - Storage of system's state, any update to database results in all subscribers getting notified
• chloroplast - Python software which runs on the hardware and handles notifications from Firebase
• Solar - Vue.js website which runs on local network and acts as a virtual switch, updates Firebase database to change system state
• iOS Shortcut - Runs Python script to make updates to Firebase database to change system state
  • Siri activation for iOS shortcut

Hardware

The circuitry for the project was relatively simple. I removed the switch from the wall and put a relay in between where the switch was. The wires enter the normally open pin and exit on the common pin, so when the signal voltage is HIGH the circuit closes, providing power to the light/fan.

Expandability

The hardware was relatively cheap compared to smart home alternatives on the market, as it could work with the Raspberry Pi Zero W and extremely cheap relay switches. This allowed me to design the project with expandability in mind. Each Rpi + relay(s) unit is named: chlorophyll-node-n where n represents the node's number. Each node runs the same chloroplast software, and based on the Firebase notifications it handles updating the relevant GPIO pin. The website was also designed to expand easily where each node has a section in gray with relevant switches.

Gallery