Hey everyone, I’m really excited to share my journey of integrating some custom-built devices into Home Assistant. As someone who loves tinkering with Raspberry Pi Zeros and ESP8266 modules, I’ve built a few little gadgets over the years, and now I want to bring them into the smart home ecosystem. 
So far, I’ve managed to send REST requests using the 10-year token, which was a great start. But now I’m hitting a bit of a wall. I want to create virtual entities in Home Assistant that I can control through the API. For example, I have a self-built doorlock and camera system based on a Raspberry Pi Zero W, and I’d love to send JPEG images to Home Assistant from these devices. I think I’m just missing a key concept or piece of information. If anyone has tips or resources on how to achieve this, I’d be super grateful! 
What’s been really cool is seeing how all these different devices can work together. It’s like solving a puzzle where each piece adds more functionality to my smart home. Whether it’s controlling lights, monitoring cameras, or even automating my morning routine, Home Assistant has been a fantastic platform to experiment with. 
I’d love to hear from others who have integrated custom devices or have tips on working with virtual entities and media integration. Let’s keep the conversation going! 