Michał Leśniewski’s Rolek Seamlessly Integrates Powered Roller Shutter with Home Assistant

Key Takeaways

Michał Leśniewski developed Rolek, a smart shutter system that integrates powered shutters with Home Assistant using an ESP8266 microcontroller.
The system allows users to control electric roller shutters via a web interface, REST API, or Home Assistant, with features like individual shutter control and position tracking.
Source code and more information can be found on GitHub and in Leśniewski’s Reddit post.

Smart Shutter System Integrates with Home Assistant

Michał Leśniewski has created Rolek, a smart shutter system designed to connect existing powered shutter installations with Home Assistant. The system operates through an Espressif ESP8266 microcontroller, which controls the original remote for the shutters, simplifying the integration process.

Rolek is a compact device that allows users to manage electric roller shutters over Wi-Fi. It can be accessed via a web interface, a REST API, or through Home Assistant. Leśniewski explains that he repurposed a 433MHz remote control with a damaged display, wiring the ESP8266 to the buttons of the remote to simulate presses. This approach eliminated the need to reverse-engineer the 433MHz protocol or decode its rolling code.

Initially, Rolek was developed as a replacement for the broken remote display, using a simple web interface. Over time, the project evolved to include various enhancements. Users can now track each shutter’s position, operate individual or groups of shutters, and set partial opening percentages. The integration with Home Assistant leverages the MQTT protocol, offering seamless connectivity.

In addition to Home Assistant compatibility, the ESP8266 provides a straightforward web interface and a RESTful API. Users can send simple HTTP POST requests to control the shutters, with commands for opening, closing, stopping, and moving individual or grouped shutters. The microcontroller can even reset the remote control by disconnecting power.

The source code for Rolek is available in the GitHub repository under the GNU General Public License 3. Leśniewski also shares more details and insights about the project in a Reddit post, and additional images can be viewed on Imgur.

Overall, Rolek demonstrates an innovative and practical solution for enhancing home automation through a DIY integration of existing shutter systems with modern smart technology.

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