Zeus Lights

The homeowner app and operations stack for Zeus Illumination — permanent outdoor LED lighting controlled from a phone. Fullstack: React Native client, Next.js dashboard, NestJS APIs, and MQTT to the lighting controllers.

Play Store

App Store

Website

Challenge

Permanent roofline LEDs are useless if the app drops the controller after a new router, can’t schedule without internet, or treats a 200-foot facade as one dumb strip. Hardware, cloud, and phone have to agree on what the lights are actually doing.

Solution

Built the stack end-to-end: React Native for live control (color, brightness, sections, custom designs), a Next.js dashboard for ops, NestJS as the API, and MQTT to talk to WLED-class controllers — including rediscovery after network changes and schedules that still run.

Architecture

01React Native app for iOS and Android
02Next.js dashboard for installations and operations
03NestJS backend for accounts, devices, presets, and schedules
04MQTT to lighting controllers for realtime command and state
05Section-level control and bulb-by-bulb custom designs
06Sunrise/sunset schedules and warm-white spectrum

Engineering challenges

IoT as a product problem: connection reliability, controller rediscovery, and UI that reflects actual device state — not a cached toggle.
MQTT as the device bus; NestJS as the contract the dashboard and the phone both speak.
Shipped store-ready on the App Store (and Android) under the Zeus / Pixel Genesys stack.

Technologies

React NativeNext.jsNestJSMQTTTypeScript

Outcome

Live as Zeus Lights on the App Store — permanent LED control for Austin-area homes: holidays, everyday ambiance, and security from one system.