SMART HOME AUTOMATION SYSTEM USING ARDUINO AND

VOICE COMMANDS INTERFACE: PROPOSAL

A PROJECT REPORT SUBMITTED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF

TELECOMMUNICATION AND INFORMATION ENGINEERING IN PARTIAL
FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENT FOR THE AWARD OF A DEGREE IN
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN TELECOMMUNICATION AND INFORMATION
ENGINEERING AT JOMO KENYATTA UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE AND
TECHNOLOGY

AUTHOR:

KEMBOI STANLEY KIMARU ENE221-0297/2016

BSc. TELECOMMUNICATION AND INFORMATION ENGINEERING

JOMO KENYATTA UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE AND TECHNOLOGY

2024
PROJECT PROPOSAL: SMART HOME AUTOMATION SYSTEM

USING ARDUINO AND VOICE COMMANDS INTERFACE

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 DECLARATION OF AUTHORSHIP

I the undersigned solemnly declare that the project report is based on our work
carried out during the course of our study under the supervision of Dr. Antony Onim. I
assert that all the sources that I have used have been acknowledged by means of complete
references and that the work has not been submitted before for degree award in any other
institution in Kenya or abroad.

Name: Kimaru Stanley Kimaru Signature……………………….

Reg. Number: ENE221 Date: 08/08/2024

0297/2016

SUPERVISOR CONFIRMATION

This is to certify that this project documentation has been submitted to the

Department of Telecommunication and Information Engineering as part of the final year

project submission requirements, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and

Technology, with my supervision and direction:

Name: Dr. Antony Onim Signature…

Position in the Institution: Assistant

Lecturer
Date: 08/08/2024

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 ABSTRACT

Modern houses are progressively transferring from conventional switches to

centralized control system, regarding far-flung controlled switches. Presently,

conventional wall switches located in one-of-a-type factors of the house makes it difficult

for the client to go near them to perform. Even greater it becomes greater difficult for the

elderly or physical handicapped people to do so. Remote controlled home automation

system gives a most contemporary-day solution with smart phones. In order to benefit

this, a Bluetooth module is interfaced to the Arduino board at the receiver surrender

while on the transmitter surrender, a GUI software program on the mobility telecast

smartphone sends ON/OFF commands to the receiver in which hundreds are associated

The purpose of this project is to design and implement a Voice-Controlled Smart

Home Automation System that enhances the convenience and security of home

environments. The system integrates voice recognition technology with microcontroller-

based hardware to automate household devices, enabling users to control lights, fans, and

other appliances through voice commands. The project aims to reduce the complexity of

traditional home automation systems, making smart home technology more accessible to

a broader audience. The expected outcome is a functional prototype that demonstrates the

effectiveness of voice control in home automation.

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS
DECLARATION OF AUTHORSHIP.............................................................................ii
ABSTRACT......................................................................................................................iii
List of Figures....................................................................................................................v
Acronyms...........................................................................................................................vi
1.0 INTRODUCTION.......................................................................................................1
1.2 Problem Statement...................................................................................................2
1.3 Justification...............................................................................................................2
1.4 General Objective....................................................................................................2
1.5 Specific Objectives...................................................................................................2
2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW...........................................................................................4
2.1 Previous Automated Home Security Projects.......................................................4
2.1.1 Voice-Controlled Systems...................................................................................4
2.1.2 Home Automation Using the Internet of Things.................................................4
2.1.3 Home Automation for Visiually Impaired Using Hand Gestures.......................5
2.1.4 Bluetooth-based wireless home automation system built on FPGA technology 5
2.1.5 GSM and Android Integration for Elderly Care..................................................5
3.0 MATERIALS AND METHODS................................................................................6
3.1 System components....................................................................................................7
3.1.1 Relay Board.........................................................................................................7
3.1.2 Bluetooth Module................................................................................................8
3.1.3 Microcontroller....................................................................................................9
3.1.4 Android Application..........................................................................................10
3.2 Proposed methodology.............................................................................................11
4.0 EXPECTED RESULTS............................................................................................13
REFERENCES................................................................................................................14
Bibliography.....................................................................................................................14

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 List of Figures

Figure 1: Block Diagram of the Proposed System

Figure 2: 4-channel Relay Board

Figure 3: Bluetooth Module

Figure 4: Atmega328 microcontroller

Figure 5: Proposed system flow chart

Table 1: Comments for Application

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 Acronyms

NLP…...………………………...……… Natural Language processing

MEMS…...………………………………Micro-Electro Mechanical System

GSM…...……………………………..…Global System for Mobile Communications

OS…...………………………………..…Operating System

SDK…...…………………………………Software Development Kit

IoT…...………………………...…………Internet of Things

Wi-Fi…...……………………..…………Wireless Fidelity

ICSP…...…………………..……………. In-Circuit Serial Programming

CPU…...…………………..……………. Central Processing Unit

IDE…...…………………………………. Integrated Development Environment

FPGA…...………………………………. Field Programmable Gate Arrays

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 1.0 INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background Information

With the increasing demand for smart home solutions, automation systems have

become a significant part of modern households. Traditional home automation systems

often require complex setups and multiple control interfaces, which can be cumbersome

for users. Voice-controlled systems offer a more intuitive and user-friendly alternative by

allowing users to control devices through simple voice commands.

The user-friendliness of a remote-control system for household appliances has

increased in popularity. The idea of controlling appliances with voice commands is also

intriguing and many researchers have explored this area. Various technologies like

internet, wireless and remote control have been used for this purpose. The major

objective of this system is to offer a wireless control unit that can receive and execute

voice instructions. The system will integrate as a single unit and enables wireless control

of home electrical appliances, such as turning them on and off with voice commands. The

microcontroller unit converts the voice commands to binary sequence and switches the

load on/off as required.

This project aims to develop a voice-controlled smart home automation system

that integrates seamlessly with existing household devices and provides an efficient and

reliable solution for home

automation.

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1.2 Problem Statement

Traditional home automation systems often rely on complex interfaces or physical

controls that can be inconvenient and inaccessible to users with limited mobility or

technical skills. Moreover, many existing systems require manual operation, which may

not always be feasible in situations where hands-free operation is preferred or necessary.

This project aims to address these challenges by developing a voice-controlled smart

home automation system that provides an intuitive, accessible, and user-friendly solution

for managing home devices.

1.3 Justification
Traditional home automation systems often rely on complex interfaces or physical

controls that can be inconvenient and inaccessible to users with limited mobility or

technical skills. Moreover, many existing systems require manual operation, which may

not always be feasible in situations where hands-free operation is preferred or necessary.

This project aims to address these challenges by developing a voice-controlled smart

home automation system that provides an intuitive, accessible, and user-friendly solution

for managing home devices.

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1.4 General Objective
To design and implement a voice-controlled smart home automation system that enables
users to control various household devices using natural language voice commands.
1.5 Specific Objectives
 To develop a system that integrates voice recognition technology for

controlling smart home devices.

 To implement a user-friendly interface that allows users to configure and

manage their smart home system.

 To ensure compatibility with existing smart home devices and platforms.

 To evaluate the system's performance in terms of response time, accuracy

of voice recognition, and user satisfaction.

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 2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW
To develop this project, we will build upon previous literature on the subject.

2.0.1 Voice-Controlled Systems

The development of voice-controlled systems has gained momentum with the

proliferation of virtual assistants like Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple Siri.

These systems utilize natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning to

understand and execute user commands. [1]

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2.0.2 Home Automation Using the Internet of Things
The deployment of the Internet of Things (IoT) for home-controlled automation

was the subject of this research by the authors of [2]. Their study focused on the

extensive usage of IoT to link distinct items, including as smartphones, tablets, sensors,

and digital cameras, and enable the transfer of a lot of data and information. To improve

connections and access to other items at a certain time and location, they also

investigated cloud computing. By providing a prototype model, the authors are illustrated

how cloud-based services for sensing may be used for a variety of applications, including

augmented reality, farming, and environmental monitoring. The study focuses on Wi-Fi

Wireless safety and security measures and the necessity for creative IoT management

solutions.

2.0.3 Home Automation for Visually Impaired People Using Hand Gestures
In their paper, M. Smitha et al. [3] presented a system designed for visually

impaired individuals to easily operate home appliances using hand gestures. The system

utilizes MEMS accelerometer to detect hand movements and radio frequency to transmit

signals wirelessly. The microcontroller 61 compares the received gesture with the stored

templates and accordingly controls the home appliances. The system is also suitable for

the elderly. However, the need to store gestures in the microcontroller is becoming less

relevant as similar applications are now available in Android-based systems. An

automated system that does not require gestures would be more appropriate.

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2.0.4 Bluetooth-based wireless home automation system built on FPGA technology
In their study, B. M. Krishna, et al. [4] discussed a Bluetooth-based FPGA-based

wireless home automation system. They emphasized the usage of Bluetooth and how they

used an Android smartphone and the HC-05 Bluetooth module to operate various

household appliances. This system is particularly beneficial for the elderly and physically

challenged individuals as it reduces their physical effort, saves time, and conserves

energy. Future research, according to the authors, should focus on creating a more

sophisticated home automation control system.

2.0.5 GSM and Android Integration for Elderly Care

Rodriguez et al. [5] extended the application of GSM and Android integration to

elderly care scenarios. Their study illuminated how GSM-enabled security systems

equipped with Android interfaces could be harnessed to monitor the well-being of elderly

individuals. The research spotlighted the potential of technology for improving quality of

life.

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 3.0 MATERIALS AND METHODS
The block diagram of the proposed System is shown in Figure 1. The voice-

operated android and Arduino home automation system uses an android-based Bluetooth

enabled phone for its application and the Arduino Uno as the microcontroller.

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Figure 1: Block diagram of the proposed system

3.1 System components

The system is made up of the following components:

1. A microcontroller

2. A HC 05 Bluetooth module

3. Relay board

4. Bulbs and fans

5. Android application which will reside inside the homeowner's phone.

3.1.1 Relay board

A relay is an electrically operated switch [10]. Many relays use an electromagnet to

mechanically operate a switch, but other operating principles are also used, such as solid-

state relays. Relays are used where it is necessary to control a circuit by a separate low-

power signal, or where several circuits must be controlled by one signal. The first relays

were used in long distance telegraph circuits as amplifiers: they repeated the signal

coming in from one circuit and retransmitted it on another circuit. Relays were used

extensively in telephone exchanges and early computers to perform logical operations. A

type of relay that can handle the high power required to directly control an electric motor

or other loads is called a contactor. Solid-state relays control power circuits with no

moving parts, instead using a semiconductor device to perform switching. Relays with

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calibrated operating characteristics and sometimes multiple operating coils are used to

protect electrical circuits from overload or faults; in modern electric power systems these

functions are performed by digital instruments still called "protective relays”. Magnetic

latching relays require one pulse of coil 19 power to move their contacts in one direction,

and another, redirected pulse to move them back. Repeated pulses from the same input

have no effect. Magnetic latching relays are useful in applications where interrupted

power should not be able to transition the contacts.

Figure 2: 4-channel Relay Board

3.1.2 Bluetooth Module

Bluetooth is a wireless technology standard for exchanging data over short

distances (using short-wavelength UHF radio waves in the ISM band from 2.4 to 2.485

GHz) from fixed and mobile devices and building personal area networks (PANs) [11].

The Bluetooth module allows us to transmit and receive signals. It receives the text from

the Android phone and transmits it to the serial port of the Arduino Uno. The Bluetooth

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module being used here is the HC‐05 module. It is an easy-to-use Bluetooth SPP (Serial

Port Protocol) module, designed for transparent wireless serial connection setup. Serial

port Bluetooth module is fully qualified Bluetooth V2.0+EDR (Enhanced Data Rate)

3Mbps Modulation with complete 2.4GHz radio transceiver and baseband. It uses CSR

Blue core 04‐External single chip Bluetooth system with CMOS technology and with

AFH (Adaptive Frequency Hopping Feature). It has a slave default Baud rate of 9600. It

auto connects to the last device on power as default. The connection can be point-to-point

or multi-point where the maximum range is 10 meters. The transfer rate of the data is

1Mbps.

Figure 3: HC-05 Bluetooth Module

3.1.3 Microcontroller
The Arduino UNO is a state-of-the-art board of Arduino. Here UNO way 'one' in Italian.

It modified into named as UNO to label the number one release of Arduino Software. It

modified into moreover the number one USB board released through manner of way of

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Arduino. It is considered due to the fact the powerful board applied in various projects.

Arduino.cc developed the Arduino UNO board. Arduino UNO is based mostly on an

ATmega328P microcontroller. It is simple to use in assessment to extraordinary boards,

along with the Arduino Mega board, etc. The board consists of digital and analog

Input/Output pins (I/O), shields, and extraordinary circuits. The Arduino UNO includes 6

analog pin inputs, 14 digital pins, a USB connector, an energy jack, and an ICSP (In-

Circuit Serial Programming) header. It is programmed based mostly on IDE, which

stands for Integrated Development Environment.

Figure 4: Atmega328 microcontroller

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3.1.4 Android Application
Android is a mobile operating system (OS) based on the Linux kernel and currently

developed by Google. With a user interface based on direct manipulation, the OS uses

touch inputs that loosely correspond to real-world actions, like swiping, tapping,

pinching, and reverse pinching to manipulate onscreen objects, and a virtual keyboard.

Android platform is widely used because of its huge market globally and it’s easy to use

user interface [11]. Applications on the Android phones extend the functionality of

devices and are written primarily in the Java programming language using the Android

software development kit (SDK). The voice recognizer which is an in-built feature of

Android phones is used to build an application which the user can operate to automate the

house, like controlling lighting systems.

3.2 Proposed methodology

The Arduino Uno with Atmega 328p microprocessor, a 9V adapter power supply, and

relay circuits utilized as switches for loads make up the system's many parts. The 'voice

recognizer' capability of an Android-based mobile operating system is utilized to operate

an appliance. The Android device and the control unit communicate wirelessly thanks to

a Bluetooth module (HC-05). Relay circuit and Bluetooth module are both connected to

the microcontroller, which is also receiving signals from the Android application to

regulate the loads. The Android app searches for and establishes a wireless connection

with the Bluetooth device, then reads the user's voice commands and sends the

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appropriate signals to the microcontroller to activate the relays and switch the loads

on/off.

The figure 5 below represents the flowchart of the proposed methodology.

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Figure 5: System Flow chart

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 4.0 EXPECTED RESULTS
Several words have been used to teach this gadget. The Arduino Micro controller

can interact with the relay to either switch any connected appliance ON or OFF since

each word is saved through programming. The appliances will respond according to the

commands that has been given, for example if the user says turn on lights, the lights will

go on.

Hardware setup: It is expected that all the required sensors, Bluetooth module and the

microcontroller will be available and operational by October.

Android app development: The android application is expected to be developed and

debugged by the first two weeks of November.

Integration and testing of the system is expected to begin by mid of November.

the system should demonstrate high accuracy in voice recognition, seamless integration

with smart home devices, and positive user feedback in terms of ease of use and

accessibility.

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REFERENCES

References

[1] K. Mamata, N. Kaimal, P. Jadhav, and S. Adnan Rizvi.

“Implementation of Internet of Things for Home Automation.” (2015).

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[2] Baris Yuksekkaya, A. Alper Kayalar, M. Bilgehan Tosun, M. Kaan

Ozcan, and Ali Ziya Alkar, (2006) “A GSM, Internet and Speech Controlled

Wireless Interctive Home Automation System”, IEEE Transactions on

Consumer Electronics, Vol. 52, Issue 3, pp. 837-843.

[3] Chandra Shakher Tyagi, Mega Agarwal, Renu Gola (2016) “Home

Automation Using Voice Recognition and Arduino” IJRTER, Vo. l 2, Issue

7, ISSN: 2455.1457.

[4] e. a. Johnson, "Empowering Home Security through GSM

Integration," in 2013 2nd International on Advances in Electrical

Engineering (ICAEE), Dhaka, 2013.

[5] Sandeep Kumar and Mohammed, A Qadeer, (2009) “Universal

Digital Device Automation and Control (Home and Industrial Appliance

Automation)”, IEEE International Conference on Computer Science and In-

formation Technology, pp.490-494.

[6] Y. Ming and S. Hao “Smart Living Using Bluetooth Based Android

Smartphone” International Journal of Wireless & Mobile Networks

(IJWMN) Volume 5, No. 1, 2013, doi: 10.5121/ijwmn.5105 65.

[7] Chakradhar, S. KrishnaveniI, and D. Naresh, D. “Bluetooth Based

Home Automation and Security System Using ARM9”, International Journal

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 of Engineering Trends and Technology (IJETT), Vol. 4 Issue 9, 2013, Pp.

4053-4058.

[8] A. Nyiekaa1, P. I. Udenze2, M. M. Yilwatda3 “Design and

Construction of a Voice Control Automation system” (2020).

[9] Abd, Mohamad, E. Mowad, A. Fathy, A. Hafez “Smart Home

Automated Control System Using Android Application and Microcontroller”

International Journal of Scientific & Engineering Research, Volume 5, Issue

5, ISSN, pp. 2229-5518, 2013

[10] Voice-Controlled Systems: Integrating Natural Language Processing, B.

Jones, 2021.

[11] Harada, Y., Brother Industries Ltd. (2016). Power supply system. U.S. Patent
9,473,015.

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