Project S1.6 - Home Information Center

As outlined in UPDATED: My Home Automation Roadmap, I am working on a information center for our kitchen. This device has a 15.6" touch screen that will display information about our home as well as a common calendar, an interface for Home Assistant, local weather, and other programs and databases.

 I'm pretty excited about this project. This one is going to push me quite a bit as I'm working with python programming (which I'm new to), building custom applications for a linux environement, pulling in web interfaces and working with hardware. I'm about halfway through the hardware build and am still designing several layouts and components. When I'm done, the physical device will have the following components:

• 1 - 15.6" Touch Screen - The primary interface, this screen will have have an on board pop-up keyboard, for working with the apps and screens. - Done
• 10 - Physical Buttons - These will be used as quick action access to apps and / or home automation tasks - Done
• 1 - Motion Detector - Used generally by the device to detect motion in the room. - Done
• 1 - DHT22 - Used as a data collection point for the home automation system - Done
• 1 - LUX Sensor - Used as a data collection point for the home automation system - Done
• 1 - 10mm RGB LED - Provides non-audio notifications from the home automation system - Done
• 1 - Microphone Array - For voice control of the device and home automation system - In Progress
• 1 - Camera - Used for barcode reading and security monitoring - In Progress

In addition to the electrical components listed above, the case that houses all of this will also contain some low tech items such as a large whiteboard and marker holder, a cork board and a few low profile hooks. I'm designing the enclosure to have versatile mount system that can be switched out for wall mounting, fridge mounting, or with a stand up picture easel type back frame. The enclosure itself will have replaceable pads on the back for each of these mounting types. 

The software suite will start out with

• Google API - a google calendar tie in, as well as some other google sourced items that allow for calendar management and reminders.
• Shopping List - Running list for trips to the grocery store.
• Recipe DB - List of favorite recipes. Selected recipes can dump ingredients list to the shopping list above
• Home Assistant Interface - Direct HA interface
• Weather - App to show current local weather info and forecast info from web sources
• Chore List - List of chores and rewards balance for the kids
• Network Photo Frame - "Screen Saver" for displaying family photos stored on our NAS when the device isn't in use.

I'm a ways out on much of the software as I've focused on getting the software related to the hardware list completed first. The goal here is to proof out the physical characteristics so that I can get the enclosure design worked out for testing. After that, the software can be added and changed as needed. I hope to have a working beta by the end of September.