Smart Living

Abstract

The integration of Internet of Things (IoT) technology with modern home infrastructure has revolutionized the concept of living spaces, enabling smart environments that prioritize convenience, efficiency, and security. This project, titled "Smart Living: IoT-Based Home Automation System with Fingerprint Authentication", presents a comprehensive and secure solution to automate household appliances while ensuring robust user authentication through biometrics. The system architecture leverages the ESP32 microcontroller as the central processing and communication unit, connected to a suite of electrical appliances including fans, lights, a water motor, and a door locking mechanism. The mobile application—developed in Java for Android—serves as the primary user interface, allowing authenticated users to remotely control and monitor devices in real time. Integration with Firebase provides reliable cloudbased communication, enabling seamless command transmission and feedback between the mobile client and the ESP32 unit. To enhance security, the system incorporates fingerprint-based authentication both at the application login level and at the physical access point of the main door. This dual-layer biometric approach ensures that only authorized individuals can gain access to the system and the household premises. The door lock mechanism is operated using a micro servo motor, triggered only after a successful fingerprint match. The project demonstrates a working prototype that controls one fan, three lights across different rooms, a water motor, and a main door lock. The hardware setup includes relay modules for appliance switching, a 12V-to-5V converter for stable microcontroller power, a servo motor for the locking system, and battery backup for uninterrupted operation. In addition to security and automation, the system is designed to be scalable. Future versions will include a QR code-based pairing module to allow users to add new IoT devices easily. This design consideration ensures the system remains adaptable to evolving user needs and expanding device ecosystems. Through iterative testing and validation, the system has shown reliable performance in controlling appliances remotely, maintaining secure access, and handling real-time communication over Firebase. It serves as a practical example of how IoT and biometric technologies can be integrated to create responsive, intelligent, and secure home environments. This project not only contributes to the growing field of home automation but also addresses critical aspects such as user authentication, system reliability, and expandability. Its implementation demonstrates how academic knowledge in embedded systems, mobile application development, and cloud communication can be translated into a viable realworld solution.