2020 International Conference on Industry 4.
0 Technology (I4Tech)
Vishwakarma Institute of Technology, Pune, India. Feb 13-15, 2020
Smart Home Automation-cum Agriculture System
Shubham Katangle
Dept.of ExTC,
Dr. B.A Technological University, Dr. B.A Technological University,
Lonere, 402103 India.
katangleshubham@gmail.com mayureshk111198@yahoo.com
Ganesh M. Kale
Dept.of ExTC,
Dr. B.A Technological University,
Lonere, 402103 India.
ganraj.m.kale@gmail.com
Abstract— In this article, the optimized hardware with
reduced cost an IoT based using a voice-commanded smart
two-way automated system has been proposed and
implemented. The ESP8266 NodeMCU micro-controller board
is used as a central unit of this system. The system when used
as smart Home Automation, initiated with a voice command
over a smartphone given by the user using Google Assistant
with a co-interfaced IFTTT (If This Then That) and the Blynk
app platform which made this feature possible. The multi-
channel relay module for loads is interfaced with the central
unit. The central unit processes the data as per the user input.
When used for Agricultural monitoring the environmental
parameters including soil moisture, air temperature and
humidity (DHT11) has been analyzed and displayed on the
OLED screen. Water flow was controlled using the water
motor as per soil moisture threshold value. Hypertext transfer
protocol based ESP8266 Wi-Fi based NodeMCU is routed to
the Wi-Fi network and communicated with cloud
storage(Thingspeak) and IoT platform Blynk. The data from
the sensors of the specified environmental parameters have
been collected, monitored and then sent to the storage cloud
and Blynk through Wi-Fi. The paper focuses on achieving
automation of two different fields with a single hardware
system.
Keywords— ESP8266, NodeMCU, IoT, Blynk, IFTTT,
Thingspeak, home automation system, agricultural monitoring,
Google assistant, voice command
I. INTRODUCTION
Internet of things has the potentiality to tempt the world
we live in; Smart cities, connected cars and upgraded
industries are all constituents of IoT (Internet of Things)
equation. Nevertheless, employing technology like IoT to the
Home automation and Agriculture industry could have the
keenest effect. The achievement of IoT will depend on the
growth of the ecosystem, endorsed by a suitable and healthy
environment with a glimpse of faith with some crucial issues
of security, privacy and identification [1]. In [2], Prahlad
Bhadani et al. have concerned about the need for smart
farming techniques for the Indian farmers, for this, they used
Arduino Uno and with the temperature, moisture, and the
humidity sensors. Data is fetched by the sensors sending it to
the MCB board which is displayed on the LCD unit. In [3],
the innovative system has been proposed using thermal
probes soil moisture sensors to evaluate its thermal resistivity
and moisture content, using Arduino Uno with a lab view
interface.
978-1-7281-5003-1/20/$31.00 ©2020 IEEE
Authorized licensed use limited to: Universidade Estadual de Ponta Grossa. Downloaded on April 18,2023 at 20:31:27 UTC from IEEE Xplore. Restrictions apply.
Mayuresh Kharade S. B. Deosarkar
Dept.of ExTC, Dept.of ExTC,
Dr. B.A Technological University,
Lonere, 402103 India. Lonere, 402103 India.
sbdeosarkar@yahoo.com
S. L. Nalbalwar
Dept.of ExTC,
Dr. B.A Technological University,
Lonere, 402103 India.
nalbalwar_sanjayan@yahoo.com
Ready to use and the cost-effective system has been
proposed in [4], the user commands are processed through a
microcontroller(Raspberry Pi)with the Python language and
also Zigbee protocol is used. A drip irrigation system is made
smart using the solenoid values along with ultrasound
sensors. A smart home automation device has been proposed
which uses advanced features such as Blynk app for easy and
user-friendly application [5]. Providing a practical view on
the architecture of the working home automation device that
focuses on user interface along with actual communicating
devices [6]. The crop monitoring is implemented using IoT
and monitoring is done by analyzing various environmental
parameters viz.humidity, moisture content, temperature, soil
nutrients and water sprinklers [7]. In [8], Sandra Ivanović et
al. have proposed the method for the collection of data usage
within a home automation system with a big data Gateway
platform. Field monitoring is achieved by using various
sensors such as soil moisture, dht11, and Arduino Uno board
is being used which receives data and can be used by the
farmer to monitor [9]. In [10], the author focuses on the
automatic system for plant watering and also monitoring the
necessary conditions for plant healthy growth. The smart
way through which we can use energy very efficiently, a
home automation system is implemented using IoT [11].
With many technological transformations in agriculture,
farming has become more industrialized and technology-
driven. The life of farmers has been made much better by
using various smart agri-tech gadgets and other livestock
methods. In [12,13], a smart agriculture technique is
proposed and the wireless robot is capable of performing a
various tasks which includes scaring intruders(birds),
pesticide spraying, moisture sensing and operating an electric
motor. In [14], Md. Adib Muhtasim et al. invented the
concept of smart garden automation using Arduino Uno. For
the smart farming system [15] in a limited enclosed area with
sensors to monitor the essential parameters for crops, the
devices used Arduino Uno, moisture sensor for soil, DHT11
sensor, pH value sensor also light sensors.
When home automation system comes to mind we think
of a system which controls home appliances
automatically and sometimes remotely with various control
systems [16, 17]. With various advancements in agri-tech
[18-20], better control has been established over livestock
rearing, growing crops, cutting cost by the farmers, also has
helped to save resources like water. In [21], Gudipati
Sravanthi et al. have proposed the voice recognition
application based wireless home automation system. The
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idea of smart irrigation using Arduino based on parametric Processing, the ESP8266 NodeMCU microcontroller
sensors used in agriculture. The designed system is efficient receives the input from the user over a wireless connection.
and built using Arduino ESP 8266 Wi-Fi and sensors [22]. In The flowchart for smart home Monitoring as shown in Fig.2
[23], the authors implemented an automation system based
on the web using Raspberry Pi micro-controller linked to the
GUI via Html / PHP platform.
II. SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE
Till now systems were designed that could be used
particularly for home automation or for agricultural
monitoring. There were no systems designed with the idea of
a single microcontroller capable of doing both the tasks. In
the proposed system there is hardware-based on ESP8266
NodeMCU [24] as a central unit that is capable of working
as an Internet of Things based SHAS(Smart home
automation system) and also as an Agricultural monitoring
system. Fig. 1 depicts an overview of the automation system.
The system hardware is developed to monitor the house or
the agricultural environment with IoT features such as voice Fig. 2. Flowchart for smart home monitoring.
command from the user through mobile, also storage of data
on the cloud. Sensors viz. moisture(soil) sensor, The loads are connected to the multi-channel relay
DHT11(humidity and temperature sensors) are interfaced module and action is triggered as per the input data. The
with the ESP8266 (Wi-Fi board) along with sending the data temperature value of the home environment is displayed on
to the IoT platform used [1]. the OLED display. The NodeMCU is interfaced with a cloud
storage platform called ThingSpeak [27] where data is sent.
In the output action, the loads for example light is switched
on or off; as per temperature reading user can give voice
commands to switch on coolers or AC or room heaters.
B. The system used for agricultural monitoring
Voice command is given to the Google Assistant using
mobile to monitor the lights and water Motors used. This is
achieved through IFTTT and Blynk app platform. ESP8266
NodeMCU is interfaced with environmental parametric
sensors which include moisture(soil) sensor, humidity and
temperature sensor and water pump as a load. The data
received from the sensor is forwarded to the NodeMCU and
displayed on the OLED screen and also stored on the cloud
Fig. 1. Schematic Block Structure of the proposed automation system
storage (ThingSpeak). The water motor is switched on or off
as per the soil moisture threshold value is observed. See the
III. WORK FLOW flowchart for Agricultural Monitoring is shown in the Fig.3
A. The System when used as Smart Home Automation
device
The working of the system, when used for home
automation, is divided into three parts User access, Central
Processing, and Output action. In the user access section, the
user operates the system by giving a voice command using
the Google assistant. Google Assistant is a widely used voice
command service based on artificial intelligence(AI) using
this user can control the functioning of the appliances in the
house. This feature is achieved by using the Blynk app which
an IoT platform is allowing controlling of electronic devices
by providing a dashboard through which users can create
different interfaces using widgets.
The Blynk app is interfaced with IFTTT (If This Then
That) app so that the Google assistant can directly understand
the foreign commands given by the last end user. These
commands are being set by the user itself on the IFTTT app.
IFTTT (If This Then That) is a service on a web platform
that allows the user to create applets that automate the Fig. 3. Flowchart for agricultural monitoring
specified task [26]. In the central Processing section, the
input is received from the user in the ESP8266 NodeMCU.
The ESP8266 NodeMCU processes the data as per the input
and switches on/off the relay module loads. In central

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 platform called Blynk, which allows users to control
electronic devices by providing a dashboard where users can
create interfaces with various widgets. To directly
understand the foreign commands given to the Google
assistant, Blynk is interfaced with IFTTT to achieve it. It
works with three main features that are Libraries (for
hardware communication), Server (for communication
between hardware and app) and App (for interface).Fig.4
shows the Blynk app interface.
IV. SYSTEM HARDWARE AND SPECIFICATIONS
The circuit arrangement in the present automation system
is viewed in Fig.5. NodeMCU being the central unit is
connected to the sensor DHT11 and the soil moisture sensor.
Also, it is interfaced with a 4ch. Relay module to which
loads are connected.
A. ESP 8266 NodeMCU the microcontroller unit
Fig. 4. Blynk app interface
The NodeMCU(ESP8266) is wifi enabled
Microcontroller with an open-source platform. Both
hardware and software are framed in such a way that it is a
very inexpensive Wi-Fi SoC (system on a chip) i.e.
ESP8266 [24]. It is designed from Espressif systems. It is an
excellent choice for IoT projects because of its low cost and
easy interfacing with various parametric sensors and other
devices. It can be programmed in both LUA scripts and
Arduino IDE software. It can be easily communicated with
the IoT platform based on the HTTP protocol [1]. Interfaced
with cloud storage using API keys (Application Program
Interface) therefore easily accessed by the user. The
ESP8266 NodeMCU control unit has the following pinout
Fig. 6.
B. Relay module
It is a switch operable both electrical and mechanical i.e
an electromechanical switch with a set of input terminals for
Fig. 5. Circuit diagram of the proposed automation system
single or multiple signals [27]. Fig.7 shows the four-channel
relay module used. It can be operated over a low power
signal; therefore, it is an advantage. As it is capable of
controlling a high energy circuit using a low energy signal it
is widely used in interfacing different types of loads on it.

Fig. 6. Pin diagram of NodeMCU

Fig. 8. Sensors used in Agriculture system

Fig. 7. Four-channel Relay module

C. Blynk App
Controlling of the appliances in the house interfaced with
the NodeMCU using relays is achieved using the IoT Fig. 9. OLED display

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C. Sensors and water Motors
In the agricultural monitoring unit sensors such as soil
moisture sensor, DHT 11 and water motor is used [27]. The
water content in the soil is fetched from the soil moisture
sensing device through which we can monitor the flow of
water to the agriculture fields using water motor. The dht11
gives the humidity and temperature values in the agricultural
environment. It gives the aggregate sum of the water vapor in
the air as a measure of humidity and the temperature for a
range of 0 degrees to 50 degrees Celsius with an accuracy of
Fig. 11. Results for Temperature
±1 %; humidity from 20 % to 90% resolution value with the
accuracy of ± 1%. The sensors used are shown the Fig.8. The
water motor used here is of single phase 1HP with 0.75 kW
power, the voltage band is of 180-240V with the maximum
speed of 3000 RPM.
D. OLED display
In the given system SSD1306, I2C based 0.96 inches 4
pin OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) display module
has been used [27]. It has an advantage over LCD
Technology as it does not require a backlight, it has 128x64
pixels, and its pixels consume less energy compared to other
Fig. 12. Results for Humidity
displays. It is interfaced with NodeMCU to display the data
observed. Fig. 9 shows the OLED display used.
V. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
E. IoT and software platform Results up to significant levels are being observed. As an
The IoT platform used here is the Blynk app interfaced instance, in-home automation the result being observed is
with NodeMCU along with IIFTTT to receive a foreign that by just giving a voice command over mobile through
voice command from Google Assistant. It is a Hardware- Google assistant user can control his home appliances in an
agnostic platform that helps in controlling the electronic efficient way. The temperature sensing device helps in
devices remotely. For cloud storage, the ThingSpeak cloud monitoring the loads such as air conditioners or air coolers.
platform is used which stores data and provides graphical All these things are carried out in an energy-efficient
representations of the stored data. Arduino IDE software manner. Next, the results are observed when the system is
platform is used in this system to code and upload on the used for Agricultural monitoring; the system is then able to
micro-controller device ESP8266 NodeMCU. Fig.10 shows get the data for environmental parameters including moisture
the IFTTT interface used. present in the soil, humidity and temperature readings. These
readings have been displayed on the OLED screen thereby
helping in case of physical monitoring of the field.

Fig. 13. Results for the Soil moisture

The results observed have been stored on the cloud

storage platform i.e. ThingSpeak, here the Environmental
data in time-axis format is graphically visualized on IoT
platform which allows the user to get informed about the
internal conditions of the environment in actual real-time
which helps the user to analyze and monitor according to the
data [27].
The outcomes are expressed and examined in terms of
humidity, soil moisture, and temperature. The supervised
real-time data for humidity, soil moisture and temperature
are taped on the internet server. The collective measure of
humidity, temperature and soil moisture are shown in Fig.
Fig. 10. IFTTT interface 11, Fig. 12, and Fig. 13. The outcomes of the sensors
readings are generated on the software platform (Arduino

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IDE) [25], the serial monitor is shown in Fig. 14. A working
prototype for the system is shown in Fig.15.
Fig. 14. Readings on Serial Monitor
Fig. 15. The prototype of the automation system
VI. CONCLUSION
Concluding, In this paper, an IoT based hardware system
is proposed which is used for smart home automation and
also for agricultural monitoring with the same single MCU
hardware. Unlike the other trends in traditional IoT based
automation, this paper mainly focuses on hardware
optimization and energy efficiency. For other devices,
separate micro-controllers are used for home automation or
Agriculture monitoring thereby saving energy using just
single hardware. With easy user access and security, it would
give a significant contribution to the advancement of IoT
based automation systems.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
The authors would like to thank Mr. Ravindra N. Rathod,
Assistant Professor, Department of ExTC Dr. B. A
Technological University, Lonere, Raigad, India for his
valuable guidance and support.
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