Home In The Box: All-in-one Smart Home Solution

Home In The Box is an all-in-one smart home solution which utilizes our previous projects Media In The Box and Broadcast Board. Media In The Box (Qt/QML-based entertainment system) acts as a Smart Home Hub and several Broadcast nodes connect to it using your home network. At the core of communication of each device, MQTT transport is used, which is lightweight and able to handle multiple node communications using publish-subscribe methodology. Additionally, a smart feedback mechanism is implemented on top of the communication in order to sync all devices at all times. Each node is able to take safety actions when the network is down. Broadcast_Home_Automation library is made open-source and is available at this repository. This library does not only control each components that are attached to the Broadcast board, but it also handles the communication and feedback mechanism for each component.

Below image depicts architectural components that consist Home In The Box in the macro level;

Nodes are not only controlled from Media In The Box dashboard, but they can also be controlled from customly built Android application. This Android application is made possible using Java Native programming language and it is able to display temperature and humidity levels from nodes, as well it can remote control relays connected to the Broadcast nodes. Furthermore, with the Android application, Media In The Box entertainment system and smart home hub can be remotely controlled. Bluetooth, Internet Radio, and USB Media Player are controlled fluidly. When Bluetooth Speaker functionality is enabled, bluetooth and device discovery features are enabled both on Android application and Qt side (Media In The Box). To add more; song, artist, radio station information are displayed on the Android application when user enters the Bluetooth speaker, Internet radio, or USB Media Player. Home In The Box Android application, Media In The Box (Smart Home Hub) and Broadcast board and its relay shield looks as follows (Beware that performance of following gif animations does not reflect the actual system and application performance).

Media In The Box (Media & Automation Server)

Android Application (Media & Automation Control Client)