Alexa is a virtual personal assistant created by Amazon that allows users to interact with devices like the Amazon Echo using voice commands. Alexa uses natural language processing to understand user intent from voice commands and complete tasks like playing music, answering questions by accessing online sources, and controlling smart home devices. Developers can create new skills for Alexa by building speech interfaces using APIs, SDKs, and web services provided by Amazon. Code is deployed to AWS Lambda to handle voice interactions with Alexa devices.

1. Alexa in 10 Minutes
James Burt
Brighton Java
28th June 2017

2. What is Alexa
Alexa is:
A virtual personal assistant

3. What is Alexa
Alexa is:
A virtual personal assistant
An Amazon product

4. What is Alexa
Alexa is:
A virtual personal assistant
An Amazon product
Not perfect

5. Not Perfect

6. Why is this interesting?
Alexa is:

7. Why is this interesting?
Alexa is:
Open to new skills

8. Why is this interesting?
Alexa is:
Open to new skills
A hands-free interface

9. Why is this interesting?
Alexa is:
Open to new skills
A hands-free interface
A simple way to play with VUIs

10. How Alexa Works

11. How Alexa Works
Intent: Will it rain?
 Will it rain?
 Is it going to rain?
 Is it going to rain today?
 Is it likely to rain?
 What’s the chance of rain today?
 Do I need my umbrella today?

12. The application

13. The Code
Two main classes:
● Connector between Alexa and AWS Lambda
● A speechlet

14. SpeechletRequestStreamHandler
package com.riddlefox.tarot;
import java.util.HashSet;
import java.util.Set;
import com.amazon.speech.speechlet.lambda.SpeechletRequestStreamHandler;
public class TarotSpeechletRequestStreamHandler extends SpeechletRequestStreamHandler {
private static final Set<String> supportedApplicationIds = new HashSet<String>();
static {
String appId = System.getenv("APP_ID");
supportedApplicationIds.add(appId);
}
public TarotSpeechletRequestStreamHandler() {
super(new TarotSpeechlet(), supportedApplicationIds);
}
}

15. Speechlet Interface
SpeechletResponse onLaunch(SpeechletRequestEnvelope<LaunchRequest>
requestEnvelope);
void onSessionStarted(SpeechletRequestEnvelope<SessionStartedRequest>
requestEnvelope);
void onSessionEnded(SpeechletRequestEnvelope<SessionEndedRequest>
requestEnvelope);
SpeechletResponse onIntent(SpeechletRequestEnvelope<IntentRequest>
requestEnvelope);

16. Speechlet

17. Deployment of the Code

18. Deployment of the code

19. Deployment of the code

20. Deployment of the code

21. Deployment of the code

22. Deployment of the code

23. Deployment of the code

24. Deployment of the code

25. Deployment of the code

26. Deployment of the code

27. Deployment of the code

28. Deployment of the code

29. Deployment of the code

30. Does it work?

31. What next?

32. What next?

33. What next?

34. Any questions?
@orbific
james@orbific.com
Development blog: jamesburt.me.uk