Automatic IOT Curtains

I designed and built a cloud-connected automatic curtain robot. Leveraging my CAD, 3D printing and Arduino skills, I connected an ESP32 microcontroller to a stepper motor and driver board to provide accurate curtain control.

The most successful aspect of this project was the smart home integration. The robot seamlessly connects with any major smart home ecosystem to provide a polished and versatile experience that can work in cooperation with other IOT devices.

Managing standby power consumption was crucial for a device that’s on 24/7. The robot makes use of the ‘sleep’ and ‘enable’ pins on the DRV8825 driver board to shut down the motor and driver when not in operation. This reduces power consumption and will extend component life.

If I were to re-design this project, I would rotate the device by 90° to better conceal it behind the curtain. Additionally, incorporating a battery and solar panel would allow it to function without connection to mains power.

Overall, building this curtain robot has been a valuable and enjoyable learning experience that’s improved my skills in software development, small electronics and design. I’m excited to apply what I’ve learnt to my degree, future projects and career.