Ultrasonic Sensors in Smart Home Automation

What is Home Automation?

Home automation is the way all our devices and appliances can be networked together to provide simple and convenient control of your home. Full control of your home can now be achieved from anywhere in the world. With a smart home, you decide what devices react to, when and why. You set the schedule and all of the actions are automated. One of the main advantages of home automation can be the savings in energy. Thermostats can be adjusted as you leave your home. Lights can be controlled due to your motion as you enter and exit a room. Ultrasonic sensors are used as motion sensors in IoT home automation systems. Motion sensors can trigger alarms if motion is detected when the house is supposed to be empty. The right sensor for your project depends on the range you are trying to detect. Sensor technology solves many home problems when it comes to safety for your family, protecting your bank account and protecting your home from damage. SmartThings published this infographic detailing exactly what happens in a smart home automation environment.

source: SmartThings

According to Business Insider, The global home automation market is expected to reach an estimated $75.2 billion by 2022 with a CAGR of 11.4% from 2017 to 2022. The future of the home automation market looks attractive with opportunities in the safety and security, HVAC, entertainment, and lighting control applications.

http://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/Global-Home-Automation-Market-Growth-Opportunities-2017-2022-Market-is-expected-to-reach-an-estimated-75-2-billion-1007431226

Ultrasonic Sensors for Flood Detection

The last thing you would want is to come home from a day at work to find out your basement has been flooded by a bursting water heater or some other type of water leak. Our commonly used MB7360 is used in such cases as not only detecting levels in tanks but also used in this water level detection application. By programming this sensor into a system along with a smart water valve kit, you can prevent excessive damage to your home due to flooding. Review this research paper on the development of a portable water level sensor for a flood management system.

Ultrasonic Sensors in Motion Detection

Engineers have been using Raspberry Pi and Arduino to interface with our sensors for practical home use. As stated previously, our sensors can be used to trigger lights turning on with the detection of motion.

Home Monitoring

In this tutorial on All About Circuits, the creator uses our MB1040 to develop a system with Arduino to turn on a light with ultrasonic motion detection.

Parking Your Car

Tasks you take for granted like parking your car in your garage can be made easier by installing a sensor to detect when you are close to walls or other obstacles in your garage, to let you know when to stop. This tutorial from the Arduino forum shows how to develop and install your own parking system in your garage to tell you when to stop your car. In the book BeagleBone Home Automation Blueprints, there are instructions on how to create your own ultrasonic parking system using their micro-board PC running on Linux.

Do You Have Mail?

Another great project to review is the interfacing of an ultrasonic sensor with an Arduino to detect whether mail has been dropped in your mailbox. It is an ideal application for apartment complexes and business parks. Review that project here.

Conclusion

Ultrasonic sensing is a low-cost technology that is able to be used in a variety of applications. The maximum range of our sensors is 10m, ideal for a smart home setting. Proximity and motion are normally needed for close range applications. The versatility in the environment, whether water, air, or gas, makes them an ideal placement in an end user product. Do you have any questions about using MaxBotix Sensors in your Home Automation Environment? Email us at techsupport@maxbotix.com

Our Sensors used in Smart Home Automation: