Design and Implementation of a Multi-Function Home Automation System Based on Internet of Things (IoT) Omar Tayan 1, 2 , Marwan Alalawi 1 , Abdulaziz Alahmadi 1 , Abdullah Albinsari 1 Dept. of Computer Engineering 1 , NOOR Research Center 2 , College of Computer Science and Engineering, Taibah University, Madinah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia otayan@taibahu.edu.sa, m-a-w2013@hotmail.com, az.alahmadi53@gmail.com, abooody001100@gmail.com Abstract— In this digital era, information technology has become a part of our everyday lives at work and at home. Furthermore, the Internet and existing communications technologies have allowed users to easily communicate and achieve daily activities and tasks remotely. Recently, the concept of smart infrastructure technologies for home, work and office automation using Internet of Things (IoT) has enabled users to remotely monitor the environment and control devices automatically. This study focuses on the topic of smart home automation using IoT enabled devices for environmental monitoring, data-collection and control. In particular, this study considers three issues that are considered to be among the most important requirements in any home automation system. The three main issues being investigated are: safety-monitoring, home-security monitoring and energy monitoring and control, which can also be applied in other environments that includes, office, buildings and other storage- facilities. Significantly, the study has resulted with a complete design and implementation of the intended system that satisfies the three main requirements at a low-cost, achieved using multiple configurable modules, each with a specific functionality. The results obtained are presented on a web interface that allows the user to monitor and control all system parameters. Finally, the developed system provides scalability by supporting the addition of embedded nodes into the existing bus-based network, supports heterogeneity that enables different types of nodes to interconnect wirelessly or through fixed wires, and supports modularity that enables the system to adjust itself and accommodate changes in the environment as per user preferences/configuration options. Keywords— IoT, home-security, safety monitoring, power- efficiency monitoring, scalable, low-cost, modularity. I. INTRODUCTION & BACKGROUND Kevin Ashton of Procter & Gamble in 1999 [1] have identified the concept of Internet of Things (IoT) as elements of all kinds associated with electronics, software, devices and communication networks that exchange information [2][3]. The idea is to interconnect every object present in the environment, enabling each object to interconnect with other objects around, forming a self-configuring network. The formed network supports communication and coordination of the objects in an autonomous manner, as for instance, household appliances communicating and operating in a home network [4]. An IoT based system receives remote signals and controls through its infrastructure, which increases the direct integration of the system with the physical world and leads to improved consumer and economic benefits. Moreover, IoT devices help integrate various technologies and leads to the rapid expansion of anything connected to the Internet and generate large amounts of data distributed geographically, resulting with the rapid growth in the use of such technologies. A growing division of such devices with Internet connectivity or local connectivity are being developed for various consumer applications that includes: entertainment, smart homes, health related devices, and washer/dryer machines, vacuum-cleaners, ovens, refrigerators, and freezers that use Wi-Fi for remote monitoring. Home automation involves monitoring and control of remote electronic devices based on the concept of IoT. It also offers the ability to monitor and control isolated programmable devices such as gas leak detectors and temperature sensors or actuators such as relays. Typically, home automation systems include connectivity to equipment/devices such as lighting, heating/cooling systems and smart-grids. A number of other common IoT applications include: - Manufacturing - Energy Management - Environmental Monitoring - Office Automation and Smart Buildings - Medical & Healthcare Nowadays, home automation is becoming essential for simplifying daily tasks in our busy lifestyles. Home automation offers a modern lifestyle in which users can monitor and control his/her entire home using a smart phone/webpage, control electricity consumption, control locking/unlocking of doors, etc. However, acquiring and installing such systems can be costly, explaining why home automation has not attracted much International Journal of Computer Science and Information Security (IJCSIS), Vol. 17, No. 2, February 2019 75 https://sites.google.com/site/ijcsis/ ISSN 1947-5500