Abstract

Keywords

۱٫ Introduction

۲٫ Access control and security system. QToggle

۳٫ Video surveillance. MotionEye

۴٫ Results

۴٫۱٫ Access control and security using QToggle

۴٫۲٫ MotionEye screenshots

۵٫ Conclusions

Declaration of Competing Interest

References

Abstract

In the past years smart homes solutions have become more and more popular with the introduction of a high number of both Internet of Things (IoT) applications and smart devices. Home automation and security systems market is in a continuous growth, traditional security systems are evolving fast, and more and more people choose Smart home solutions. In this paper, we propose two IoT based systems in the context of Smart homes: qToggle for multiple home automation, and MotionEyeOS, a video surveillance OS for single-board computers. Most qToggle devices are based on ESP8266/ESP8285 chips or on Raspberry Pi boards and smart sensors, while MotionEye uses Raspberry Pi boards.

۱٫ Introduction

The Internet of Things (IoT) [1], [2] represents a new paradigm in computing, in which billions of smart devices that are connected to the Internet, directly communicate with each other and with the users. IoT uses the Internet Protocol (IP) to connect devices, which include smartphones, tablets and digital assistants to various types of sensors, appliances, and systems such as lighting, temperature, or security. The characteristics of the IoT are very wide and include a variety of physical elements, as shown in Fig. 1 [3].

In the last years, the IoT concept has had a strong evolution, being currently used in various domains such as smart homes, telemedicine, industrial environments, etc. The associated network can bring several challenges in the applications development process. The IoT is not a single technology, but it is a concept in which new things are connected and enabled, and this brings many business opportunities [3]. According to Intel [4] the IoT world is continuously growing, from two billion objects in 2006, to a projected 200 billion by 2020. This means around twenty-six smart devices for every human being on Earth.

Intelligent Building Management Systems (BMS) represent an important part of the IoT paradigm that aims to control and monitor the mechanical and electrical equipment of a building. Allowing objects and devices in a building to be connected to the Internet enables users to remotely monitor and control them. From light switches that can be controlled to turn on and off by using a smartphone, tablet, laptop or by voice command, to thermostats that will adjust the indoor temperatures, access control, or air conditioning on/off switching, intelligent BMS solutions have become popular in the last years and more nowadays. Smart home aims to integrate home automations. Home automation represents a smart solution that offers several advantages, including comfort, security, energy saving, money saving in the long run, convenience, and peace of mind. Fig. 2 shows an example of an intelligent building employed with different IoT connected utilities. Although, it presents only a few examples, there are many more applications that can be implemented, upon request.