Smart Home Automation with the eRemote IR Controller and Google Home

I’ve wanted to play around with smart home appliances for a long time, but all of my current appliances are already set and lack built-in network connectivity. Upgrading or retrofitting them directly into smart devices would require extra renovation work, which usually isn’t very easy to pull off.

So I thought: wouldn’t it be great if there were a device that connects to Wi-Fi and sends infrared (IR) signals to control lights, TVs, air conditioners, and so on? I looked it up online, and sure enough, not only do such devices exist, but there are actually quite a few options available.

This time, I bought the eRemote mini released by LinkJapan.

https://linkjapan.co.jp/product/eremote-series/

The setup is very straightforward: plug in the device, download the corresponding app, and use your remote control to let the device learn the respective signals. That’s basically all it takes.

Well, after getting it, I realized this unit is a bit too small. If an appliance is too far away from the base, it sometimes fails to receive the IR signal. Since it relies on infrared, any physical obstacle in between will also block signal transmission. You need to be extra mindful when choosing where to place it.

Because you can control it directly via the app, you can turn on the AC or lights before arriving home. At bedtime, you can just lie in bed and adjust everything from your phone.

However, what I really wanted was to let Google Home handle all of this for me, so next, I’ll walk through how to integrate it with Google Home.

The setup is also very simple: just find the “eHome” option in the Google Home app and log in with your account credentials. The underlying mechanism is fairly simple too: a signal is sent over the local Wi-Fi network to eHome, which then blasts the corresponding IR signal upon receiving it. That said, currently only lights can be controlled this way.

With this in place, whenever I head out, all I have to do is say “行ってきます” (I’m leaving) to Google Home, and it will automatically turn off the lights. When I return, saying “ただいま” (I’m home) turns them back on, and saying goodnight to Google Home turns the lights off. You can also directly say “電気をつけてください” (Please turn on the lights) or “消してください” (Please turn them off) to operate the appliances.

Afterword

The main drawback of using infrared is that signals are easily obstructed. My current apartment has interior partitions, and once a door is closed, it basically receives no signal at all. If you’re looking for rock-solid stability, Wi-Fi-enabled devices might be a better choice.