  This paper presents a flexible standalone, low-cost smart home system, which
is based on the Android app communicating with the micro-web server providing
more than the switching functionalities. The Arduino Ethernet is used to
eliminate the use of a personal computer (PC) keeping the cost of the overall
system to a minimum while voice activation is incorporated for switching
functionalities. Devices such as light switches, power plugs, temperature
sensors, humidity sensors, current sensors, intrusion detection sensors,
smoke/gas sensors and sirens have been integrated in the system to demonstrate
the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed smart home system. The smart
home app is tested and it is able to successfully perform the smart home
operations such as switching functionalities, automatic environmental control
and intrusion detection, in the later case where an email is generated and the
siren goes on.
