IoT Projects for All Skill Levels

The phrase “Internet of Things” (IoT) was first coined 25 years ago, and it has permeated nearly every aspect of our lives since then, from wearables to smart factories and robotic surgery. The number of IoT-connected devices in India and Southeast Asia is estimated to reach 1.33 billion by 2030 [1]. Whether you’re looking for new solutions in your home or office or want to flex your maker’s muscles, these IoT projects will help you create something unique for your home. Below, you’ll find projects sorted into three skill levels: kids and teens, beginner, and advanced projects. 

IoT projects for kids and teens

If you or your child are interested in learning new skills and creating something cool, there’s a range of IoT projects designed for younger makers and children learning to program. From making (and playing) your own video game to training artificial intelligence to recognise cats compared to dogs, these projects and tutorials are designed to appeal to a younger audience and try and help make kids more excited about IoT and coding: 

• Create an IoT hub with Azure: Learn how to send and receive telemetry data using Azure. 

• Build your own robot: Create a 3D-printed robot that walks, dances, plays instruments, and more. 

• Play kitchen microwave interface: Create a digital microwave interface and a working light for an IKEA play kitchen. 

• Traffic lights for toy cars: Bring play to life with a controllable, four-way intersection traffic light designed for toy cars. 

• Magnet levitation: Create a toy with magic floating magnets using Arduino. 

• LCD game: This tutorial includes all the code you need to create a simple and fun LCD game. 

• Infrared bird box: Create a bird box with a live streaming camera to house birds and share their private lives with the world. 

• Push button stop motion: Direct and create a stop motion video animation. 

• Accessibility map: Create an app to show people where they can find accessible places in their area. 

• Create an alien language: Create and play a game in which you teach the computer to learn an alien or unknown language. 

IoT projects for beginners

Even a beginner can do amazing things with IoT tech. These projects are designed for beginner and intermediate levels to gain hands-on experience with IoT concepts. After conquering a few of these projects, you may be ready to move on to more advanced and complicated coding objectives. 

Instead of buying your smart key tag, consider creating your own. Or, make an automatic pet feeder you can control with your smartphone or other devices. Here are more ideas to spark your creativity: 

• Controlled LED: Learn how to control an LED light in this beginner-level project. 

• Weather station: Create a weather monitoring and data collection centre using several sensors. 

• Old-school two-way pager: Create an old-school two-way pager. The creator of this tutorial suggests it would be a helpful way to communicate with a child who is too young for a cell phone. 

• Crypto wallet: Design a hardware wallet to hold cryptocurrency. 

• Phone-controlled Wi-Fi RC car: Create and play with an RC car you can control over your phone. 

• Dynamic router: Set up a router using Router Information Protocol (RIP v1) and Packet Tracer. 

• Smart bartender: Create a personal robot bartender. This project is at the intermediate level. 

• Space station tracker: Track the location of the International Space Station with this project. 

• Pet feeder: With this project, feed your pet using your smartphone or another device.

• Plant communicator: Monitor your plant’s needs with this plant communicator. 

• Key chain finder: Create your locator tag for key chains or anything you need help locating. 

• Design a smart home network: In this intermediate-level project, learn how to use Packet Tracer to design and simulate a smart home network.  

Advanced-level IoT projects

Advanced IoT projects require more experience and equipment but can also achieve more advanced objectives. For example, you could create a home monitoring system or smart garage door to add functionality where none existed. 

Advanced IoT projects also offer solutions to businesses and other public organisations. For example, air or water quality monitoring has uses beyond a single-family home. A contactless body temperature monitor has public safety implications in a post-pandemic world. While advanced IoT projects can change how you interact with your home, they also have the power to bring major changes to how we interact in public spaces. 

• GPS tracker: Create your GPS tracker using Arduino and ThingsBoard.io.

• Vertical hydroponic farm: Build and monitor an automatic vertical hydroponic farm. 

• Home energy metre: Keep an eye on your home energy use with these metres. 

• Water quality monitoring system: Create a home or public services application system. 

• Air quality index monitoring: Measure the air quality before you go out with this monitoring system. 

• Smart Wi-Fi video doorbell: Create your do-it-yourself doorbell system with video. 

• Smart fan: Operate a fan with your smartphone or another device. 

• Arduino-based roller blinds: Create a smart automatic system for controlling your window covering with your smartphone or another device. 

• Voice-activated rocket launcher: Create a rocket launcher activated by voice control for a safer launch experience. 

• Contactless body temperature monitor: Create a device that measures body temperature, takes a picture, and emails an email if a person registers a concerning temperature. 

• Heart rate monitor: Create a pulse oximeter that can be monitored remotely to watch patients while social distancing. 

• Smart garage door: Upgrade your garage door with this smart system. 

Next steps with IoT

Whether you’re an advanced programmer looking for a fun project around the home or just learning about what IoT is capable of, you can explore many online tutorials to help you create new things and solve problems in new ways. 

If you’d like to work on an IoT project with additional support, consider taking an online course to learn new skills with access to instructors. You could choose a single course, such as Programming for the Internet of Things Project, offered by the University of California, Irvine, on Coursera. You could also dive into the entire specialisation to gain in-depth knowledge on several IoT topics. These courses can help you learn how Internet of Things technology can be used in practical applications for the home and in the public.