If you like technology and have certain knowledge and a taste for experimenting, it is likely that to a greater or lesser extent you have already dabbled in home automation to turn your house into a smart home. And perhaps you have also tried a Raspberry Pi at some point and even have it at home: as a project to make a Smart TV, as a retro console… or perhaps collecting dust in a drawer. Big mistake: The Raspberry Pi is a gem for home automation if you know how.
The previous paragraph describes me perfectly, me and my Raspi stored in the small gadgets and cables drawer. Let’s go back to home automation: I admit that to date I have always gone commercial, where there is a huge world in the form of voice assistants, ecosystems and devices that understand each other to a greater or lesser extent (matter promised to change everything, although the reality was far from the theory). But Going through the commercial hoop in home automation also has a toll to pay. Or several.
The Raspberry Pi solves many of the problems of commercial home automation… if you know how
Yes, with commercial means you limit yourself to buying compatible products from a more or less reduced list so that you don’t get lost, install the app, follow the steps and that’s it: a more or less neat interface, more or less reliable support, updates…Simple, right? Well, actually It depends on the manufacturer and their after-sales service and maintenance policies.. Because there are brands that promise simplicity and give confidence, but once they go through the checkout, they become quite confusing over time. The result is planned obsolescence before the device is truly old and outdated.
So even within the commercial sector, there are products and products, so it is not easy to find one that is designed to last. But even if we get it right, we have the problem of the closed garden (until Matter truly solves the problem). We see it with an example: let’s imagine that I like Alexa and its ecosystem, then I have to buy Echo speakers and devices such as light bulbs, plugs, vacuum cleaners and others that are compatible.
The consequence is that The range of available options is reduced and we pay more, as long as I will have to buy what is worth even if it is more expensive. In short, with the commercial we gain convenience, but we are doomed to whatever the manufacturer wants (be careful because even an all-powerful giant like Google left my Stadia controller useless when it closed the service).
And then our protagonist appears, the Raspberry Pi.
Although we are going to unravel its main virtues in this article, in Xataka we tell you the case of a couple who automated his entire house with AI and an open source system thanks, among other things, to Raspberry Pi. The Raspberry Pi is a versatile device per sebut applied to home automation it is a gem where you can install something like Home Assistant, an open source home automation platform. It is not the only one, but there are few that are as complete and free.
The first major consequence is not be tied to anything. That is, we can buy sensors of all kinds, switches, light bulbs, etc. of a long list of brands with integration or even use good quality and low price components that you can find in stores like AliExpress. The same with some light bulbs you go for something commercial, but for the motors of a blind you are out of price and you opt for less known elements. And the same if you have Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant speakers.
So You buy what best suits your needs and budget and you do not depend on a manufacturer and its support, since open source guarantees that you can modify afterwards so that everything remains up to date over time. Of course, it is not going to be as simple as plug and play: you have to download programs and libraries, test, debug… the main problem is that not everyone has the knowledge or time to do it.
From left to right and top to bottom: Sonoff Dual, Sonoff TH16, Sonoff Basic, Sonoff S20 Wemos D1 Mini, Node MCU, ESP32 Development Board, LoraTap, Raspberry Pi 3B+ and Sonoff D1. Xataka
The above refers to a complete home automation proposal, but The Raspberry Pi is also useful for specific projects that can be used to get started and discover part of your potential. Do you want to convert an air conditioner into a connected model? Well, there is the option of capturing the infrared signal from the controller to replace it with Raspberry Pi, for example. But it is not the only one: you can emulate the Philips Ambilight with the Lightberry project with a Raspberry and an LED strip, or set up your own connected thermostathave a most accurate weather station, a security camera with facial recognition Or until monitor your pet’s diet while you are away.
If you have knowledge (although you can start from scratch and go little by little) and time, The Rasberry Pi is the best for home automation.
Cover | Xataka analysis of the Raspberry Pi 4 Model B (Javier Pastor)
In Xataka Home | How to start with home automation step by step from scratch