HomeLink

HomeLink is a decentralized smart home dashboard that integrates Ethereum smart contracts, GhanaNLP language support, real-time data monitoring, and IoT control via an ESP32 microcontroller. This platform allows users to manage bills, monitor transactions, control their smart home devices, and communicate in local languages—all from a powerful and professional interface.

🚀 Features

• Smart Home Control: Use an ESP32 microcontroller to manage your home devices via Wi-Fi.
• Decentralized Billing: Generate, track, and pay bills using Ethereum smart contracts.
• Real-time Data Visualization: Monitor transactions, utility usage, and other relevant data.
• GhanaNLP Integration: Translate and generate audio in local Ghanaian languages for enhanced accessibility.
• MetaMask Integration: Connect your wallet to interact with smart contracts directly from the dashboard.
• The Graph Protocol: Query data from the Ethereum blockchain for accurate and up-to-date information.

🛠 How It’s Built

Technologies Used

• ESP32 Microcontroller: Represents the smart home, enabling real-time IoT control.
• Django Backend: Manages a JSON-based local API to trigger actions and update the system.
• JavaScript & HTMX: Power the dynamic front-end, enabling real-time interaction with smart contracts and data visualization.
• Ethereum Smart Contracts: Written in Solidity, these handle bill generation, payments, and tracking.
• The Graph Protocol: Used to query blockchain data, ensuring accurate and up-to-date information.
• MetaMask Integration: Facilitates wallet connection for blockchain interaction.
• GhanaNLP: Provides language support for translation and audio generation in Ghanaian dialects, making the smart home accessible to non-English speakers.

Notable Hacks

One particularly notable hack is how HomeLink’s smart home setup was streamlined using only an ESP32 and a JSON file acting as the local API. The monitoring script leverages this setup to trigger actions without requiring a heavy backend. Additionally, the integration of GhanaNLP for localized language support involved fine-tuning models to handle both translation and TTS functionalities efficiently within the existing system architecture.

📂 Project Structure

This is the planned out project structure for the next release.

HomeLink/
├── backend/
│   ├── django_app/
│   └── contracts/
├── frontend/
│   ├── static/
│   ├── templates/
│   ├── js/
│   └── css/
├── esp32/
│   ├── firmware/
│   └── config/
├── data/
│   └── json/
└── README.md

📦 Installation

1. Clone the Repository

   git clone https://github.com/PhidLarkson/HomeLink.git

2. Install Dependencies

   • Backend (Django & Python packages)

   • Navigate to the requirements.txt file

     pip install -r requirements.txt

   • Frontend (JavaScript & CSS)

     (No specific installation required for JS/CSS dependencies in this template)

   • ESP32 (Arduino IDE or PlatformIO)

     It is in the hardware folder, as main.ino
     # Load and compile the firmware using Arduino IDE or PlatformIO

3. Setup Environment Variables

   Create a .env file in the backend directory with the necessary environment variables:

   SECRET_KEY=your_secret_key
   ETHEREUM_NODE_URL=https://your.ethereum.node.url
   

4. Run the Django Server

   cd backend/django_app
   python manage.py migrate
   python manage.py runserver

5. Deploy Smart Contracts

   Deploy the Solidity contracts and update the deployed contract addresses in the Django settings.

6. Connect ESP32

   Flash the ESP32 with the firmware and ensure it’s connected to the Wi-Fi network.

📜 License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

🤝 Contributions

Contributions are welcome! Please open an issue or submit a pull request for any improvements or new features.