Smart and Energy-Efficient Home Automation using Gesture Recognition

In the urban setting, high standards of living have encouraged automation to come right to the forefront and be an integral factor of any home design. Simultaneously, environmental concerns have ensured that energy efficient housing models and appliances are the preferred choice. We integrate these requirements into a smart and energy efficient model home which employs device control using a technique as intuitive as gestures. For decades now, remote controls have enabled us to dictate the working and functions of everyday appliances. However, consider a scenario where a person, Carol, is all tucked in her bed and realizes that she has forgotten to switch off the lights and fans of the living room or the heating system. In such a scenario, a centralized control unit located at a convenient location from where Carol could control all devices would be useful. This is where the need for centralized automation arises. Now imagine if Carol had to find the remote to control the centralized system, then the purpose of automation would be lost and hence, gestures being an intuitive means of expression are an effective way to control household appliances at reasonable efficiencies.