Smart home initiative in Nghe An

(Baonghean.vn) - Security monitoring, gas leak alarms... when away from home are complex issues causing many families anxiety. Therefore, teacher Trinh Long (born in 1989), currently a lecturer in the Industrial Electrical Engineering Department, Vietnam-Korea Industrial Technical College, has developed a solution.Innovative ideas for building a "smart home".

As a technology enthusiast, teacher Trinh Long has always harbored the idea of ​​building a smart home to best serve people's needs. Sharing his thoughts on the "Smart Home" project, Mr. Long said: "Currently, many smart homes have been built, incorporating many modern and practical technological ideas. However, most smart home systems in Vietnam are only applied to villas and affluent families. I want to design a smart control system that meets user requirements at an affordable price, suitable for installation in apartment buildings; replacing old, conventional electrical systems without needing to change the wiring structure."

Teacher Trinh Long giving a lecture on the smart home model.

The smart home is designed with many modern devices: gas leak alarms, automatic electrical system shut-off, temperature monitoring, plant watering system, garden alerts, and home security system.

For example, with a gas leak alarm system, a sensor will detect gas leaks in the kitchen. When a gas leak occurs, the sensor will notify the homeowner via phone, and an alarm will sound at the central control unit.

For example, in a home security system, when activated, the system automatically notifies the homeowner via phone, allowing them to report to the police; it can also be combined with remote surveillance cameras to monitor the house's condition. Even if the burglar cuts the power, the system has a backup power source, so the homeowner will still be notified during a power outage.

Overall smart home model

In his research project, Professor Long also created a camera system to record all activities in the family, monitor security when necessary, and especially to remotely monitor via the internet.

Mr. Long said that the system can connect to solar power systems to save electricity for the family, and the controller can be used to upgrade traditional electrical systems to smart systems without affecting the structure of the house walls…

The smart home project won third prize in the 2015 Nghe An Provincial Youth Science and Technology Innovation Ideas Competition.

In line with this topic, with investment from the Department of Science and Technology, Mr. Trinh Long is currently investing in a pilot project for a smart irrigation system.

Lecturer Trinh Long is currently working on several innovative technology projects that could be applied in practice.

Mr. Long shared: In recent years, people have used manual irrigation systems such as carrying water in buckets, using diesel pumps, electric pumps, etc., but these have not been effective for irrigation. On the other hand, the costs of gasoline, electricity, and labor are still very high, leading to a significant reduction in the profits earned by the people.

To overcome these limitations, smart irrigation systems will apply remote control technology, making it convenient for users. The control modes based on humidity, temperature, and time are diverse and can be applied to many different farms and crops. Using analog signals from water pressure sensors, the system provides feedback signals to a PID (Proportional Integral Derivative) controller, resulting in high spray pressure stability. Control and monitoring are performed using Android phone software.

Diagram illustrating an automatic misting system.

If successful, the project will contribute to improving crop growth efficiency, reducing water loss, lowering labor costs, providing convenience for those traveling for work, and especially being applicable on a large scale and for rotational use.

In addition to crop care, this control method can be effectively applied to cooling systems for dairy cows, feed and water control systems for livestock and poultry farms, etc.

"Both scientific projects, 'Smart Home' and 'Smart Irrigation System,' received high awards at the provincial level and have high practical application potential. Regarding the pilot project for the smart irrigation system, we are currently collaborating with the Department of Science and Technology. We hope to attract investors, businesses, and individuals to invest funds to develop the product and promptly apply it on a larger scale in production, business, and daily life," said Mr. Trinh Long.

Viet Phuong