DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT OF A HOME AUTOMATION MOCK-UP TRAINER

Abstract

Home automation has emerged as a critical component of smart-home technology, reshaping how occupants interact with their living environments. Systems that began as simple programmable timers and motion sensors have, through advances in wireless communication, sensor technology, and artificial intelligence, evolved into integrated platforms that extend beyond convenience to deliver measurable gains in functionality, energy efficiency, and security. Contemporary lighting automation systems interface seamlessly with smartphones, voice assistants, and other smart devices, allowing users to remotely monitor and personalize their settings with a level of precision and simplicity previously unavailable. This study employed a developmental-descriptive research design to design, construct, and evaluate a Home Automation Mock-Up Trainer, and to determine its level of acceptability with respect to applicability, safety and maintenance, modifiability, portability, user-friendliness, and workability. The trainer was built from low-cost and scrap materials to demonstrate the wiring, control, and remote operation of residential lighting and power circuits, and was evaluated by fourteen respondents comprising trainees, trainers, an administrator, and industry experts in Electrical Technology. Findings show that the principal advantage of the trainer lies in its convenience and cost-efficiency: because it was fabricated using scrap materials and affordable components, it can readily be reproduced by other institutions as an instructional tool for simulating the automation of residential lighting and power systems. Following presentation and evaluation, the Designed and Developed Home Automation Mock-Up Trainer obtained an overall mean rating of 4.89, interpreted as Highly Acceptable, across all six evaluation criteria and across all four respondent groups.