A New Parking Assistant using ESP8266 and WS2812b LEDs

 

Need a higher tech, but inexpensive solution DIY solution to assist with parking in a consistent location?  This project uses a low-cost ESP8266 and a strip of WS2812b LED pixels to replace that old tennis ball on a string you have hanging from the ceiling now!  And if you have Home Assistant or another automation system, you can optionally enable MQTT to use the system as a vehicle presence system.

An overview of the project can be seen in this YouTube video.

Home Assistant for the masses.... but should it be?

 

So, this post is going to be a little off-script for me.  Consider it an editorial piece.  It's not a 'how-to', but something I've been wanting to get off my chest for a while now.  Where is Home Assistant headed?  What are the strategic goals and who is the target audience?