Integrating Embedded Systems and Control Theory for Energy-Efficient Smart Homes with Dual Sensitivity Motion Detection (Published)
This study delved into the development of a cost-effective, intelligent energy management and control system to address the pressing issues of energy wastage and rising electricity costs in developing countries, with a focus on Nigerian households and businesses. The problem stems from inefficient and underutilized energy distribution systems, which lead to excessive consumption and financial strain. To mitigate these challenges, the study introduces a smart solution that leverages dual-sensitivity motion sensors and embedded systems to regulate energy usage in real time based on environmental occupancy. The methodology involves the integration of hardware and software components, including an Arduino-based microcontroller, dual motion sensors, relay switches, and a Real-Time Clock (RTC) module. The system dynamically switches between high and low sensitivity modes—high during daytime for active responsiveness and low at night to prevent false triggers—ensuring appliances operate only when necessary. Environmental simulations and controlled testing were conducted to validate performance and reliability. The proposed solution offers a scalable, adaptable, and affordable approach to smart energy management, balancing user comfort with significant energy savings. By automating appliance control and optimizing power consumption based on human presence, the system enhances sustainability and economic efficiency. It also contributes to the advancement of smart home technologies and presents a viable pathway for widespread implementation in resource-constrained environments.
Keywords: Control System, Microcontroller, Simulations, energy management, sensors
An Energy-Efficient ECC Scheme for Wireless Sensor Networks (Published)
The field of wireless sensor networks (WSNs) combines sensing, computation, and communication into a single tiny device called a sensor. Sensors are equipped with RF radio, processor, memory and hardware. They are also battery powered and therefore have severe energy, bandwidths and memory constraints, and low computational capability. Communication over WSNs is still known to be attack-prone because the constraints of sensors hinder the development of secure modern cryptographic solutions. The Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC) technique and the Rivest Shamir Adleman (RSA) algorithm are the two most popular public key cryptographic schemes deployed over wireless networks. The effectiveness of the ECC technique over RSA has been demonstrated in this research. While ECC with very large key sizes is thought to be computationally expensive, it is possible to use smaller primes, or smaller finite fields, with elliptic curves and achieve a level of security comparable to that for much larger integer mod n. Measurements have been made to prove that ECC algorithms can be executed within the memory limits of sensor nodes. An enhanced ECC scheme with collision resistant hash functions is proposed in this research.
Keywords: ECC, RSA, Security, Wireless Sensor Networks, communication, sensors