Final Year Project Smart Home System

Question

Hello

 

My name is Dan, and I on my final university year.

I am thinking about the project that I wanted to do for the final year, and would not like to go with something very basic that everyone does like, hotel, students management systems etc.

Instead I had an idea of designing a centralised software for a smart home.

 

I do like this idea, but the thing, that stands in my way of developing this software is that I will have to test it, therefore I'll have to buy or make my software work with some sort of micro controller, chip, and other hardware.

 

Any ideas on how I could design the smart home system, demo it, but keep it purely at software level witouth this hardware sensors. 

 

Thanks for any ideas