Automate all the things!

The beauty of Home Assistant is that it is really about the only option (free and open source) to unify all the brands of smart appliances, lights, and similar devices. It even has abilities (with some configuration) to make dumb devices smart, by adding inputs or switches that can be centrally controlled.

Getting started with HA requires nothing spectacular with regards to specifications, but you can add more abilities such as remote access, AI, and more should you want to build even more advanced input and outputs to the system.

What is it

At its core, HA is an orchestrator, acting upon the inputs it is sent and outputting data into logging and other actions. This allows both a historical view of circumstances, but enables graphing and automation.

Example Home Assistant Usage

Inputs

Sensors (light, temperature, humidity, presence)
Cameras
Microphones (DIY Alexa is a possibility)
Physical buttons allow for manual inputs

Outputs

Graphing
History
Power Switches
Smart Lighting
Sound System
Notifications

Example Automations

Lights turned on and off based on sunrise, sunset, or arbitrary times
Alerts when sensors in fridge/freezer go over temperature
Presence based lighting adjustment. (walk into a dark room and the light come on)