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Have you ever worried about leaving your stove on while you were at work? Enter Know It’s Off.

With the increasing prevalence of smart home devices and systems, many users are looking for smart appliances with the ability to inform if they are on or off through the internet. However, these appliances often charge a premium for smart connection features. There are some systems on the market that allow you to add this feature to older appliances, but for exorbitant prices, and usually through a plug-in power outlet interception module. On the other hand, this project focuses on building a sensor that can detect the current state of a light that can be attached to any ‘dumb appliance’ cost-effectively.

The Know It’s Off System starts with a small form factor IoT sensor that attaches to an appliance status light. The physical device uses light piping technology to move the light from the sensor to the environment so that users can still see the state of their appliance without the need for extra power. When the sensor senses that the status light has changed state, the onboard microcontroller will send out a packet to a web server hosted over the internet that will interpret and store the information in a database. The user can then access their account through the Know It’s Off website to see the state of their appliances, when their state last changed, and the battery life of the sensor. Alternatively, they can ask Google Assistant about the state of their appliance if they have their hands full. Notable achievements for this project include Google Assistant integration, long battery life, small form factor, HTTPS secure connectivity, and a slick web application layout that prioritizes usability.

While the system was primarily created to prevent house fires from stoves that are left on, the Know It’s Off System has applications beyond that. Through intercepting a status light and the use of a long-life battery, the Know It’s Off system can be expanded beyond the home. Anything with a status light can be hooked up into the system without special infrastructure beyond Wi-Fi. This system could be used to keep track of energy consumption or monitor critical equipment in extensive systems without needing to physically check them.