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Home Assistant: Open-source home automation platform running on Python 3

home-assistant.io

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Re: Home Assistant: Open-source home automation platform running on Python 3

#32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

some of the stuff i've wired up around my house: * zwave motion sensors that can turn on the stairs lights at night when I start to walk down * door/window sensors that will automatically turn the AC off if they are open for more than a minute. * several methods of presence detection for anyone in the house, and ensuring the doors are locked, lights out, and garage doors down if nobody is home (after an announcement…

it would be interesting to hear what hardware and sensors you ended up using.

pretty much mostly zwave (from various companies over the years), with some one-off stuff on a few esp8266 chips that I got for a few $ each on aliexpress.

Re: Home Assistant: Open-source home automation platform running on Python 3

#33

Is there an on-device voice assistant for home assistant? I looked at snips.ai but debating if this fits my use case. I just need something to turn on/off my lights (and adjust color) and maybe play music through my TV.

Snips is very good imo, especially if you need only these features

Re: Home Assistant: Open-source home automation platform running on Python 3

#34
post #24
post #7

Founder of Home Assistant here. Happy to answer any questions.

First, I wanted to say I really enjoy Home Assistant! I was wondering, how has development been since you have been with Ubiquiti?

Being paid by Ubiquiti to work full time on Home Assistant is awesome. I no longer work early mornings, late evenings and weekends. It has allowed me to start larger projects (user system, Lovelace) and able to break them down in smaller pieces that can then be picked up by both me and contributors.

Still struggling a bit with finding the right work/life balance now that my hobby has become my job but it's going in the right direction.

Re: Home Assistant: Open-source home automation platform running on Python 3

#35
I couldn't find this easily before, but are there docs for how to build a new device that would be Home Assistant-ready right away to facilitate easy integration? Most of the docs appear to be how to get existing devices managed by Home Assistant..

Re: Home Assistant: Open-source home automation platform running on Python 3

#36
post #7

Founder of Home Assistant here. Happy to answer any questions.

Yeah curious to know too if Home Assistant is compatible with snips.ai? They're also heavy on privacy and essentially developed from the ground up with privacy being built into it BY design

I BELIEVE so, but site should have more specifics: https://snips.ai/

Their github is stacked with useful information as well - seems they're eager to get more users on board asap.

Re: Home Assistant: Open-source home automation platform running on Python 3

#37
post #15
post #7

Founder of Home Assistant here. Happy to answer any questions.

Is it possible to combine this with snips.ai? So you have voice control on the device it self or run snips on another device and let it send commands to the home assistant device?

You can flash our operating system Hass.io[1] to a Raspberry Pi, install an MQTT broker and Snips via the Hass.io UI, connect a microphone and speaker to the Pi, upload your Snips assistant and you should be good to go. See the instructions [2]

[1]: https://www.home-assistant.io/hassio/ [2]: https://www.home-assistant.io/addons/snips/

Re: Home Assistant: Open-source home automation platform running on Python 3

#38
post #7

Founder of Home Assistant here. Happy to answer any questions.

Yeah curious to know too if Home Assistant is compatible with snips.ai? They're also heavy on privacy and essentially developed from the ground up with privacy being built into it BY design

See https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17827484

Re: Home Assistant: Open-source home automation platform running on Python 3

#39
post #5

I have a raspberry pi where I installed Home Assistant a few months ago when I moved into my new home. I did a little bit of messing with it, but stopped while waiting to have more devices that could communicate with it. What are some of the more useful things people have found they are able to accomplish with this, and what was the best way to go about them? Ideas I currently am toying with: presence sensors to turn…

In addition to most of the things other people have reported above, I have:

- Scripts that open/close curtains depending on sunset/sundown and whether we're on holiday (presence simulation)

- My seedling box - it's an Ikea rack with styrofoam in which I have LED grow lights, a heating element and a fan to control temperature and which simulates different lighting conditions, to start seedlings and to do first fermentation of wines

- Monitoring/reporting of solar power generated

- Automatically switch off devices that use a lot of standby power but are only used occasionally - printer/copier, that sort of thing. I made the money the switches cost back within a year.

Re: Home Assistant: Open-source home automation platform running on Python 3

#40
post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My favorite things for it is a lot of the "scripting" you can do for it: - I have my outdoor lights turn on when the sun goes down and turn off 4 hours after sunset - If it is after sunset, if it detects mine or my significant other connecting to the wifi, it automatically turns my Nest from away mode and turns on lights inside. - It will automatically turn off all my lights and my nest to away mode if it detects tha…

For those who don't want to go all in on home automation, you can buy solar timers for your lights that have an on off button, but also accept your lat long as a parameter and contain a solar calendar internally; they will turn your lights on and off automatically around dawn and dusk (and variations of).

There are now even LED lightbulbs (~$7-10 each) that have light sensors in them that will run dusk-to-dawn. Is a lot better than trying to remember to switch the porch lights on/off every day! :)
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