There’s a lot you can do when it comes to smart home automation, particularly with a Raspberry Pi. However, if you’re like many home automation enthusiasts, you probably already have a few of those lying around, and you’re looking for your next project that’s actually new to you. That’s where an ESP8266 comes in. It’s basically a Wi-Fi microcontroller that you can hook up to more or less anything, and there are a few reasons why you should consider it as the centerpiece of your next home automation project.