I’m excited to share my project of building an emergency system for my grandmother. She’s in great shape for her age, but since she lives alone, I wanted to create a system that ensures her safety and peace of mind. Here’s what I’ve come up with:
The system is based on an openHABian instance with a Z-Wave USB dongle. I’ve chosen three big red Fibaro buttons as the main interface. These buttons are placed strategically around her home, making them easily accessible in case of an emergency. When any of these buttons are pressed, it sends a message over Telegram to me and other family members. This ensures that we’re notified instantly, no matter where we are.
To make the system even more reliable, I’ve integrated an Amazon Echo Show. This allows me to make video calls without my grandmother needing to pick up the phone. The Echo Show’s drop-in feature is perfect for emergencies, as it can connect me to her instantly.
I’m also thinking about adding a daily report system that checks the status of the sensors, battery levels, and memory usage. This will help me ensure everything is running smoothly and address any issues before they become critical.
If anyone has suggestions or improvements, I’d love to hear them! Whether it’s alternative notification methods or additional features, your input is invaluable. Let’s make this system as robust and user-friendly as possible for my grandma and others in similar situations.
Thank you for your ideas and support!