Home Automation Enthusiast Develops Star Trek LCARS Interface for Smart Home System

Custom Star Trek LCARS Interface Blends Sci-Fi with Smart Home Control

An individual with ADHD, leveraging Home Assistant for executive dysfunction management, initiated a unique project: creating a custom Star Trek LCARS-style interface for smart home control. This ambitious endeavor aimed to integrate a beloved sci-fi aesthetic into daily home automation routines.

Initially, the user relied on a community-developed LCARS theme. However, minor inaccuracies in sizing and button design were identified, prompting the development of a more precise and authentic interface.

"Minor inaccuracies in sizing and button design motivated the development of a more precise interface."

The project heavily utilized LVGL (Light and Versatile Graphics Library) for crafting advanced graphical interfaces. Communication between the custom interface and Home Assistant was seamlessly enabled through ESPHome, an open-source firmware framework. ESPHome was instrumental in facilitating the programming of Wi-Fi-enabled microcontrollers, such as the ESP32, using straightforward YAML configurations.

For the physical display, a Waveshare 7-inch touch display, integrated with an ESP32-S3 microcontroller, was acquired. The design process meticulously recreated a specific LCARS panel from Star Trek: Voyager, chosen for its distinctive colorful buttons and gauges. Adobe Illustrator served as the foundational reference for this precise recreation.

The interface itself was constructed using YAML within the ESPHome editor, where the characteristics of various LVGL widgets were defined for each graphic element. Achieving irregular shapes, such as half-rounded buttons and elbow dividers, involved a clever technique: stacking multiple widgets of the same color. To conserve microcontroller resources, only the two gauges featured on the panel utilized actual image files.

"Irregular shapes, such as half-rounded buttons and elbow dividers, were achieved by stacking multiple widgets of the same color."

Upon completion, the custom LCARS touchscreen was successfully connected to living room lamps. This integration allowed for direct manual control over on/off functions and brightness adjustments. Additionally, the panel was configured to display current home operating modes, such as "normal" or "cozy."

The creator expressed significant satisfaction with the final product. Despite acknowledging its lack of practical necessity, the panel's aesthetic appeal and the personal accomplishment it represented were highly valued.