Home Automation with Embedded Development for Smart Homes Case Study

Unlocking Remote Monitoring and Control Capabilities for Enhanced Home Security and Energy Management.

The Client

A swiftly developing company in the niche of embedded technologies sought to revamp the traditional security systems by integrating cutting-edge technology to enable remote monitoring and control of home security, heating, and electricity management devices.

Industry: IoT
Country: USA

Project Overview

The client aimed to create a hybrid mobile application that seamlessly integrated security and energy management functionalities, catering to the evolving needs of modern homeowners. Collaborating with QIT Software’s dedicated offshore software engineering team, the project set out to develop a new touchscreen user interface, optimized for performance on low-cost Android touchscreen devices. The overarching goal was to deliver a hybrid mobile app for iOS and Android platforms, designed to provide intuitive remote monitoring and control capabilities for end-users.

Background

The project involved several key objectives:

– Develop a hybrid mobile application for remote monitoring and control of security, heating, and electricity management devices.

– Optimize performance for low-cost Android touchscreen devices.

– Create a custom Android wrapper for the JavaScript application.

– Implement thorough testing and review processes to ensure functionality, GUI integrity, and hardware compatibility.

Challenges & Solutions

Leveraging expertise in mobile web application development, QIT introduced a change in architecture that simplified UI development while maintaining performance standards. Utilizing the AngularJS framework, the team enabled canvas-based UI controls, enhancing user experience across platforms. Initially focusing on front-end development, our team expanded to encompass Android components, server-side work, firmware development, and QA testing.

Hybrid Mobile App

The hybrid mobile app delivered a new user interface compatible with touchscreen panels and mobile devices, overcoming limitations of the previous flash-based app. Built using JavaScript/HTML5, the app ensured cross-platform compatibility on iOS, Android, and web browsers. Key features included integration with HD security cameras, a custom video player for seamless video streaming, and pinch-to-zoom functionality for enhanced user experience.

Embedded Development

QIT’s developers involvement in embedded development centered on interfacing and controlling hardware components through industry-standard protocols and custom firmware. This included enhancing security panels to enable 3G connectivity, implementing two-way voice communication, and supporting remote panel settings management.

Quality Assurance

Our QA engineer conducted rigorous testing using the Qmetry test management tool, encompassing regression testing, functional testing for security panels, load testing, and smoke testing. Automation frameworks were developed for functional and smoke testing, ensuring comprehensive test coverage and timely bug resolution.

Conclusion

Through collaborative efforts and technical expertise, QIT Software played a pivotal role in transforming home automation with embedded development for smart homes. The hybrid mobile application, integrated security panels, and comprehensive QA testing have positioned the client as a leader in the Smart Home industry, offering innovative solutions for enhanced home security and energy management.