ABUAD Journal of Engineering Research and Development (AJERD)

ISSN (online): 2645-2685; ISSN (print): 2756-6811

Volume 8, Issue 1, 14-20

Implementation of a Smart Home Intruder Detection System using a

Vibrometer and ESP 32 CAM
Samuel OWOEYE1, Folasade DURODOLA1, Adekunle OYELAMI1, Racheal OLADEJO2, Samuel
OBASUYI1, Ademola QASIM1, Joshua OGUNDAIRO1
1
Department of Mechatronics Engineering, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Nigeria
[email protected]/[email protected]/[email protected]/ohioakhuemiobasuyi@g
mail.com/ [email protected]/[email protected]

2
Department of Computer Science, Ogun State Institute of Technology, Igbesa, Ogun State Nigeria
[email protected]

Corresponding Author: [email protected], +2348034893328

Date Submitted: 02/08/2024
Date Accepted: 31/12/2024
Date Published: 18/01/2025

Abstract: Nigeria today is rife with occurrences of intruders breaking into homes at every slight opportunity. The topic of security is
quite important; hence this paper presents the development and implementation of a Smart Intruder Detection System utilizing the
ESP32-CAM board, the Vibrometer and the ATMega328P microcontroller to enhance lighting, security, and surveillance functionalities.
The ESP32-CAM serves as the central control unit, leveraging its built-in Wi-Fi and camera capabilities, while communicating with the
ATMega328P microcontroller responsible for managing lighting, security, and surveillance components. The Vibrometer adds a vital
layer of security by detecting vibrations associated with forced entry attempts. Upon sensing significant vibrations, the Vibrometer
triggers the ESP32-CAM to start an immediate recording of potential intrusions. In the realm of lighting control, the ATMega328P
regulates diverse light sources such as LEDs and smart bulbs. The ESP32-CAM facilitates a user-friendly experience, enabling seamless
control and automation of the lighting system through a dedicated mobile application or voice commands. For surveillance purposes,
the ESP32-CAM captures real-time video, streaming it to the user's mobile device or a centralized monitoring station. The ATMega328P
contributes to the system's intelligence by supporting motion detection algorithms, which, in turn, trigger automated alerts and activate
lighting or alarm systems in response to detected movement. The precision performance of the components was carried out and the
average precision for all the components was 95%. The synergistic integration of the ESP32-CAM board and ATMega328P
microcontroller results in a cohesive and intelligent smart home automation solution.
Keywords: ESP-32 Cam, Home Security, Intruder Detection, Smart Home, Vibrometer
1. INTRODUCTION
The escalating demand for smart home technologies underscores the need for innovative solutions that seamlessly
integrate convenience, energy efficiency, and security. This project addresses this demand by introducing a Smart Home
Intruder Detection System, utilizing the ESP32-CAM board, ATMega328P microcontroller and a vibrometer. Smart home
technologies have become integral to modern living, offering enhanced control and automation. The integration of the
ESP32-CAM and ATMega328P presents an opportunity to create a comprehensive system capable of advanced lighting,
security, and surveillance. A critical component of this system is the vibrometer, a device that senses vibrations caused by
potential intruders attempting to break into the home. When the vibrometer detects high-intensity vibrations, it sends a
signal to the ESP32-CAM to initiate video recording, thereby enhancing the system's real-time monitoring and response
capabilities. This project aims to explore the synergies between these components and their collective impact on user
experience, energy efficiency, and home security. The advancement of automation technology makes human life easier,
more comfortable, and less demanding in all sectors [1, 2]. Smart home automation systems play a crucial role in
enhancing the quality of life by supervising and managing the household environment [3]. In today's world, automated
systems are favoured over manual ones [1, 4]. The Internet of Things (IoT) is a promising technology utilized for linking
and controlling household devices through the Internet [5]. The field of communications technology has garnered
significant interest in smart home automation systems. Sayenduzzaman et al. [6] developed a smart home automation
system that replaces traditional systems with IoT technologies. It is important to highlight that a significant number of
researchers have primarily concentrated on the integration of the Internet of Things (IoT) within residential settings, often
utilizing expensive microcontrollers. However, the security dimension concerning unauthorized access to homes remains
inadequately explored. This project seeks to fill this gap by creating an affordable smart home solution that employs the
economical ESP 32 CAM, alongside the development of a vibrometry system designed to identify potential forced break-

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ins. This system employs an Android application to regulate and supervise appliances, temperature, motion, and gases
within the household environment, facilitated through a satellite station and a radio frequency transceiver.
2. MATERIALS AND METHODS
In IoT automated systems, there are two levels of design: hardware architecture and software architecture. The
hardware architecture plays a crucial role in the system, as it needs to be properly configured for software applications to
seamlessly integrate. The software applications are designed to initiate requests, with the hardware module being
responsible for the main output. Both levels must be synchronized for optimal functionality.
2.1 Hardware Architecture
The smart home automation system's hardware architecture includes an ATMEGA328P microcontroller, vibrometer,
buzzer, relay module, ESP32 Cam, LED/Bulbs, servo motor, and casing.
2.1.1. ATMEGA328P microcontroller
The ATMEGA328P microcontroller is an 8-bit microcontroller based on the AVR architecture. It is renowned for its
flexible design and advanced capabilities, as shown in Table 1 [7].
Table 1 - Features of ATMega328P Controller
Feature Description
CPU Architecture AVR RISC
Flash Memory 32KB
SRAM 2KB
EEPROM 1024B
I/O Pins 23 General-Purpose
ADC Channels 6 (PDIP), 8 (TQFP/QFN/MLF)
Timers/Counters 3
Communication Interfaces USART, SPI, I2C
Other Features Temperature Sensor, Watchdog Timer, Power-Saving Modes
Voltage Range 1.8V - 5.5V

The ATmega328P's design incorporates power management capabilities that are essential for its operation. These
capabilities include various sleep modes that allow the microcontroller to conserve power during periods of inactivity or
low activity. This feature makes the ATmega328P well-suited for energy-efficient applications and battery-powered
systems. In this particular design, a 18050 Li-Ion Battery was utilized to supply the necessary power to the ATMEGA328P
microcontroller and other system components. Additionally, a power adapter is employed to convert 220/240V AC into 5V
and 12V DC. This adapter provides two DC outputs.
2.1.2 TP4056 module
The module shown in Figure 1 is designed specifically to charge rechargeable lithium batteries. It utilizes the constant-
current/constant-voltage (CC/CV) charging method, ensuring a safe and efficient charging process. Moreover, this module
incorporates the essential overcharging protection mechanism that is crucial for lithium batteries. Notably, it offers the
convenience of charging batteries directly from a USB port, as it operates within a working input voltage range of 4V to
8V.

Figure 1: TP4056 Module

2.1.3 ESP32 cam

The ESP32-CAM as shown in Figure 2 is a small-size, low-power consumption camera module based on ESP32 [8].
Table 2 lists the features of the ESP 32 CAM, which includes an OV2640 camera and an onboard TF card slot.
2.1.4 Servo motor
As shown in Figure 3, a servo motor is a rotary or linear actuator that enables accurate control over acceleration,
velocity, and linear or angular position [9]. It is made composed of a motor and a position-feedback sensor. It also needs a
reasonably complex controller, which is frequently a specialized module made just for servomotor applications.

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Table 2: Features of ESP32 CAM

Feature Description
Function Microcontroller with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and camera
Processor ESP32
Connectivity Wi-Fi, Bluetooth
Camera Built-in OV2640 sensor
Storage MicroSD card slot
Power Consumption Low-power design

Figure 2: ESP32 CAM Figure 3: Servo motor

2.1.5 16MHZ Crystal oscillator

A 16 MHz crystal functions as a resonator that generates an oscillating signal at a frequency of 16 million hertz. This
signal is commonly utilized for timekeeping purposes or to provide a stable clock signal for digital devices. Crystal
oscillators are integral components in a diverse range of electronic gadgets, such as computers, smartphones, and radios.
Crystals possess a highly ordered structure, characterized by atoms arranged in a lattice formation. This orderly
arrangement enables crystals to vibrate at extremely precise frequencies. When an electric current is introduced to a crystal,
it vibrates at its inherent frequency. By carefully selecting a crystal with the appropriate natural frequency, it becomes
feasible to produce an oscillating signal at any desired frequency.
2.1.6 Vibrometer
The SW-420 Vibrometer sensor as shown in Figure 4 operates on the principle of piezoelectricity. When subjected to
mechanical vibrations, its piezoelectric element deforms or compresses, generating an electric charge. This charge is
amplified and converted into a measurable voltage signal. By attaching the sensor to the surface or structure under analysis,
vibrations are detected and translated into electrical signals. These signals can be further processed and analyzed to
determine key vibration characteristics. The sensor's output can be interfaced with external devices for comprehensive
analysis. The SW-420 Vibrometer sensor harnesses piezoelectric properties to accurately measure and interpret
mechanical vibrations for maintenance and performance optimization purposes.

Figure 4: Vibrometer sensor

2.2 Software Infrastructure
The software design of this project consists of writing codes to implement the desired smart home intruder detection
system. This includes the code that would be used to control the microcontrollers, the alert system and the web-based
application. The program code is written in CSS (for the microcontrollers and alert system) and HTML for the web-based
app. The intelligent homes project has introduced the concept of accommodating multiple home automation devices. In a
smart home, there exists a correlation between wireless connectivity, sensors, monitoring, and tracking. Smart homes are
comprehensive systems that incorporate various technologies and applications, enabling convenient control and enhanced

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security for the household. A microcontroller-based smart home automation system is designed. Figures 5 and 6 show the
complete circuit and the block diagram for the research respectively.

Figure 5: Circuit diagram of the developed system

Figure 6: Block diagram of the developed system

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The primary responsibility of the client software operating on the server is to oversee the lighting and security units
integrated within the home automation system. To connect to the system, users require a personal computer, tablet, or
mobile device with internet access. The control software is stored on the server, which facilitates all communications
within the home automation system. The server operates bidirectional, recording instructions received from the home
automation system into the database and transmitting recorded control instructions from the stored database to the smart
home.
A compound containing a two-bedroom flat was modelled using a wooden frame as shown in Figure 8 and the lights
and the vibrometer were connected as proposed. The control panel was designed and housed into a plastic frame and then
placed beside the wooden structure as shown in Figure 7.

Figure 7: Construction of wooden frame model

The system was linked to an AC power source which was subsequently converted to a DC voltage source using an
MT3054. This source was connected to our TP4056 module to help charge the Li-Ion batteries in the control panel. Before
testing the system as a whole, each component underwent individual testing to ensure its functionality. Upon connecting
the system to a power source, it was checked to see if it was charging the batteries. LEDs were used to indicate status. RED
indicated that the batteries were recharging. BLUE indicated that the batteries were full. A Standalone code was run on the
SW420 Vibrometer sensor to ascertain the right sensitivity specifications to use in the model. The sensitivity measurement
was set to medium to not send false alarms.
A web-based IoT application is created which would primarily be responsible for our input and output. The Web-based
IoT application as shown in Figure 8 consists of 7 buttons; four to control the lights and three to control the doors.

Figure 8: The system’s web app interface

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The server is hosted directly on the ESP32 cam board and receives live camera feed for the compound. A vibrometer
sensor and a GSM module are also connected to the ESP32 cam board, with the vibrometer triggering the buzzer and the
GSM module when it senses a vibration. The buzzer then goes off and an SMS alert is sent to notify the User of possible
break-in. The Peripheral parts of the System (the room lights, the servomotors) are all connected to the ATMega 328P
which receives signals from the ESP32 Cam board to control them.
3. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
The entire system underwent rigorous integration and testing to evaluate the attainment of its intended objectives within
real-life conditions. In this model, a web application was integrated into the system to facilitate communication and control
of various components as well as to serve as an output for the User (Operator). The web application interface is accessible
through the internet, providing seamless communication with the ESP-32 cam board and the ATMega 328P controller
equipped with a WiFi module. Within this user-friendly interface, Users can ON and OFF each light in every room, view
the activities in the compound via the ESP-32 Cam and control all doors in the model. After successful integration, a
performance evaluation of the Smart Home Model was conducted. We tested to see at what threshold the buzzer would go
off when the door is rattled. The camera feed of the ESP32 cam was also tested as well as the lights. Three scenarios were
tested as well as four different points namely the door (behind which the vibrometer is attached); the front part of the
building; the sides of the building (both left and right) and then the back. Scenario 1 details the response gotten from the
Alert System when a gentle tap/knock is applied to all four points, and Scenario 2 details the response gotten when
medium force is applied to all four points (simulated using a mallet), while the third Scenario details the response gotten
when a huge force is applied to all four points (simulated using a hammer). Table 3 shows the results obtained from
different scenarios. It can be seen from the table that the alert system doesn't sense vibration at every instance that a force
is applied. It also shows that the vibration is felt and an alert is recorded and sent to the user's phone once a certain
threshold has been passed. The door remains the most sensitive point of vibration as the vibrometer is stationed there.
When vibration is sensed, an alert is sent to the buzzer which gives off an immediate sound as well as the GSM Module
which sends an SMS to the user's phone to indicate that an intruder has been detected as shown in Figure 9.
Table 3: Results from the vibrometric sensing
Scenarios The position where Force is Applied Was Vibration Detected?
Scenario 1: Gentle tap/knock Door No
Front Wall No
Sides + Back No

Scenario 2: Medium Force applied Door Yes

Front Wall Yes
Sides + Back No

Scenario 3: Door Yes

Huge Force Applied Front Wall Yes
Sides + Back Yes

Figure 9: Screenshot of SMS alert

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The performance of each core feature was evaluated after 20 trials, as presented in Table 4. The smart home system under
consideration demonstrated an average precision of 95% across all components.

Table 4: Performance of the components of the developed system

Component Total number of Number of Precision (%)
Attempts Successful
Attempts
ATMega 328P 20 16 95
ESP32 CAM 20 17 95
Vibrometer 20 18 90
GSM Module 20 20 100
Average 95

4. CONCLUSION
The development of a smart home intruder detection system using a vibrometer and ESP32 CAM represents a
significant advancement in home security technology. By leveraging the sensitivity of vibrometer sensors to detect unusual
vibrations and the ESP32 CAM’s capabilities for real-time video streaming, homeowners can achieve enhanced
surveillance and immediate alerting mechanisms.
This methodology provides a structured framework for the design, implementation, and testing of the system. Key
components such as hardware setup, software development, and testing protocols ensure that the system operates
effectively in real-world conditions. Furthermore, the inclusion of future enhancements, such as machine learning and
additional sensors, opens pathways for continuous improvement and adaptability to evolving security challenges.
Ultimately, this project not only bolsters home security but also empowers homeowners with the tools to monitor their
environment, fostering peace of mind and proactive safety measures. Through careful planning and execution, this smart
home intruder detection system can serve as a reliable guardian for residential spaces.
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