You may have come across the word before, but what does it really mean?

According to the dictionary, automation is defined as:

The technique, method, or system of operating or controlling a process by highly automatic means

What this implies, is that a process or a device working by itself, with little or no human control is automation.

In this chapter, we will create a project that will help you understand this concept. We will be creating a Smart lighting system, which will turn on a light only when it is dark outside. Its smart, because it can do this without any human intervention, and hence is automatic!

Let's put together a problem statement for this project.

Problem Statement: Automating light depending on amount of ambient light.

Solution: A device that can sense the world around it using a light sensor, and depending on the amount of light, turn on, or off a light.