An IoT-based Automated Shower System for Smart Homes

Connecting any object to the Internet, turning the surrounding environment smarter and better is a key issue on Internet of Things (IoT). IoT can be used for everything, ranging from (smart) agriculture to (smart) home appliances. Smart homes are systems that connect all (mostly electrical) the home appliances to a network, which allows them for being remotely monitored and controlled through a smartphone or computer. These smart homes help users optimizing resources, such as electricity and water, reducing their respective consumptions and costs. In this sense, the electric shower has always been an issue, being responsible for 30% of the electric bill (such as, in Brazil, for instance), and consuming up to 16.2 liters of water per minute of usage. This paper presents an IoT-based smart electric shower that works as a regular shower and can be configured to maintain a comfortable temperature and collect several parameters related to its usage (like water and power consumption, the water flux and bath temperature). This allows the user to analyze its behavior and utilization, generating savings on water and electricity bills, while contributing to a greener world. A real prototype was created, validated, and demonstrated, and it is ready for use.