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Build a Universal Remote with Arduino

With this clever project from Tony DiCola you can overcome the confusion of having multiple remotes by combining them all into an Arduino powered universal remote.  The remote is built using a number of common parts including a IR led and an IR receiver. The IR receiver is used to decode the signals from the original remotes so that they can be sent to your entertainment devices by the IR led on the universal remote. When set up, the universal remote can provide an interface between your various entertainment devices and your smartphone allowing you to control all of your devices from your smart phone.

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This is a perfect project to integrate into your home automation system allowing you to control your TV system from any smart device and even schedule recording or automatic channel switching and implement any other number of useful features.     

To get started on this simple but useful project, check out the following link.

Subscribe to SuperHouse Automation on YouTube to learn more about creating internet of things devices! Considering creating your own universal remote? The team at SuperHouse Automation would love to know! Let us know in the comments section below or on Facebook and Twitter.

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Automated Home Brew with Arduino

There is a certain satisfaction that can only be found when enjoying a well earned beer. However, not even this compares to the satisfaction of enjoying a beer that you worked hard to brew yourself! With this Arduino powered home brewing system from Arzaman, you can autonomously brew your beer using equipment you have also designed and made yourself.

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The home brewing system allows you to fully automate the beer production process using an Arduino Uno, and a shield that connects the Arduino to the heating element, pump and LCD menu system. The system can be configured to provide you with an easy to follow brewing set up process, and then will automatically brew your beer, prompting you along the way if you need to do something manually. Furthermore, you can easily customise important parameters and save recipes for future use. The entire project is open source and is known as Open Ardbir.  To find out more check out the following link.  This project is a great example of the many possibilities of Arduino automation! If you are looking for an Arduino to use in this project SuperHouse Automation recommends the Freetronics Eleven Arduino compatible board. 

Want to learn more about awesome automation hacks like this? Subscribing to SuperHouse Automation on YouTube is the best place to start!

Thinking about making your own automatic brewing system? Have a project you would like us to feature in this blog? The team at SuperHouse Automation would love to know! Tell us about it in the comments section below or on Facebook and Twitter.   

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Automated Blinds with Arduino

Do you spend a lot of time opening and closing your blinds each day? With this project from FreedomToCreate you can create your own automated blind controller which allows you to open or close your blinds based on a schedule, current temperature or outdoor light levels. You can even have the added flexibility of controlling your blinds from your smartphone. Although it sounds like a relatively minor “chore” it is amazing how much time you could save across an entire year if you didn’t have to worry about your blinds! You could very easily incorporate this into an existing smart home system so that you can control everything in one place. To get started on this handy project check out the instructable.   

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Want to learn more about awesome automation hacks like this? Subscribing to SuperHouse Automation on YouTube is the best place to start!

Thinking about automating your own blinds? Have a project you would like us to feature in this blog? The team at SuperHouse Automation would love to know! Tell us about it in the comments section below or on Facebook and Twitter.  

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SMS Controlled Heating

Do you ever find yourself arriving home from work to a cold house? With this project from kohleick you can send your heating system an SMS while you are driving home, and arrive to a toasty warm house. The controller runs off an Arduino Uno and custom shields which control timing, temperature measurement and telecommunications. Kohleick has designed the controller to fit unobtrusively into a picture frame. The controller has full functionality including six operating modes, temperature measurement and full SMS control. Additionally, the heating controller features a phone book which specifies which numbers can send commands to the heating system.FBJ3LLZHLSHE77C.LARGE

This is a great project to integrate into a home automation system and could potentially help you save big on energy bills. Although it is quite a complicated project, the instructions are well set out and explained. To get started check out the following link.  

Want to learn more about awesome automation hacks like this? Subscribing to SuperHouse Automation on YouTube is the best place to start!

Thinking about making your own automatic brewing system? Have a project you would like us to feature in this blog? The team at SuperHouse Automation would love to know! Tell us about it in the comments section below or on Facebook and Twitter.   

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Build Your Own Pressure Plate Switch

This is a very simple project which could be used for an infinite number of different purposes! You could use your pressure plate switch to add perfect timing into your haunted house, automatically trigger your doorbell when someone stands on your doormat, track the presence of mail or parcels, or even set up your alarm clock to only turn off when you get out of bed and step on the switch!

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The possibilities are really limited to your imagination. A project like this could make a really great input device for your home automation system. The best thing about this project is that all you need to get started is some wire, aluminium foil and cardboard! To get started making your own pressure plate check out the following instructable from Jason.   

Want to learn more about awesome automation hacks like this? Subscribing to SuperHouse Automation on YouTube is the best place to start!

Thinking about making your own automatic pet feeder? Have a project you would like us to feature in this blog? The team at SuperHouse Automation would love to know! Tell us about it in the comments section below or on Facebook and Twitter.

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Automated Gardening with Arduino

Want to start gardening but don’t trust yourself to regularly water your plants? With the “Garduino” from Luke Iseman, you can program your Arduino to help you out! This project allows you to automate watering, supplementary lighting, temperature warnings and more, using a number of sensors. All of the parts used in this project are readily available and the instruction guide is sure to help you create plenty of juicy vegetables in no time (and with very little effort on your behalf). More information can be found at the following link.

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If you are looking for a temperature sensor for your Arduino garden, SuperHouse Automation recommends the Freetronics temperature sensor module. The module is accurate to 0.5 ℃ and features a wide temperature range, mounting holes and comes with full code examples. To find out more check out the product page.

Want to learn more about awesome automation hacks like this? Subscribing to SuperHouse Automation on YouTube is the best place to start!

Would your neglected veggie garden benefit from some automation? The team at SuperHouse Automation would love to know! Tell us about it in the comments section below or on Facebook and Twitter.   

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Arduino Weather Station

Are you interested in weather patterns but frequently find yourself frustrated by the lack of precise data for your home? With this fantastic project written by SuperHouse presenter Jonathan Oxer you don’t need to rely on the national weather service anymore. The weather station receiver allows you to build your own personal weather station for your home or office. The weather station consists of an external sensor system that transmits data to a display unit over a 433MHz transmitter.

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From a home automation perspective, having your own weather station provides a valuable source of data which can be used for any number of purposes. You could automate your heating and air conditioning, or even monitor its effectiveness by making a comparison between internal and external temperatures. To get started creating your own weather station check out Practical Arduino.

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If you are looking for a 433MHz receiver, SuperHouse Automation recommends the Freetronics receiver shield. To find out more check out the following link.

Want to learn more about awesome automation hacks like this? Subscribing to SuperHouse Automation on YouTube is the best place to start!

Have an idea for a project you would like us to feature? The team at SuperHouse Automation would love to know! Tell us about it in the comments section below or on Facebook and Twitter.

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Arduino Utilities Monitor

Electricity, gas and water are typically some of the largest regular expenses in any household. Having the ability to monitor trends in utilities usage means that you can easily notice discrepancies and pick up gas or water leaks promptly, saving you unnecessarily high bills! Plotting the daily electricity usage allows you to find out which devices or activities are inefficient and optimise your home accordingly, saving your even more money! This project from Chris Nafis uses an ethernet connected Arduino to send the information it collects from utility meter data packet broadcasts, onto the internet.  To get started lowering your utilities bill check out the following link!

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An example of the results generated from this project:

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Although this project only mentions monitoring electricity usage, there is no reason why it couldn’t be adapted to water and gas. Having up to the minute information about your water, gas and electricity usage would offer enormous opportunities and would be a worthy addition to any smart home!

Want to learn more about awesome automation hacks like this? Subscribing to SuperHouse Automation on YouTube is the best place to start!

Have an idea for a project you would like us to feature? The team at SuperHouse Automation would love to know! Tell us about it in the comments section below or on Facebook and Twitter.