Home automation has been around for a while, but in the last few years intelligent voice controlled devices have made their appearance on the marketplace. A popular one is Amazon Alexa. Common uses for your assistent at home are controlling lights and music, but let’s start thinking outside the box! In this talk we will explore fun and unusual voice controlled applications for in your home. We will look at how the Alexa Skills kit works and how we can create our own Alexa applications.

1. Having fun with Alexa
Jeroen Resoort
Kraków, 17-19 May 2017

2. About me
Jeroen Resoort
@JeroenResoort
Java consultant working for JDriven

3. About this talk
Amazon Alexa
Devices
Building Skills
Demo

4. What is Alexa?

5. What is Alexa?
Let’s ask her :-)

6. What is Alexa?
Let’s ask Amazon:
Amazon Echo is a hands-free speaker you control with your voice. Echo
connects to the Alexa Voice Service to play music, make calls, send and
receive messages, provide information, news, sports scores, weather, and
more—instantly. All you have to do is ask.

7. Devices
Echo
Echo Dot
Tap
Echo Show

8. Features
Tell jokes
Play music
Read the news
Home automation
Lots of custom applications (skills) you can add

9. Things to consider
It’s a microphone with an internet connection...

10. Things to know
It’s a microphone with an internet connection...

11. Things to know
It’s a microphone with an internet connection...
Currently only available in English and German

12. Alternatives
Google Home
Apple Siri
Microsoft Cortana

13. Adding skills to Alexa
Create skill by adding ‘Intents’
Train a skill by adding ‘Utterances’
Link the skill to AWS Lambda
Try out skills using echosim.io or a real Echo device

14. Adding skills to Alexa
AWS Lambda is a service that runs pieces of code for you in the cloud
You don’t need to manage the servers
Free usage of AWS Lambda (1.000.000 free requests per month)

15. Adding skills to Alexa
Echosim can be used
as a virtual Echo device

16. Demo Time
Information skill
Build a skill telling GeeCON facts

17. Demo Time
Education skill
Build a times tables skill, for practicing
multiplication
Using slots to pick up certain
variables in your sentences

18. Demo Time
Game skill
Reviving an ancient text adventure
Can we play games with Alexa?

19. Recap
Cool device with a lot of features
Primarily for geeks and home automation
Can be extended by you, skills are not difficult to build.
Adds an internet connected microphone to your home

20. Thanks for listening!
Questions? Ideas? Let me know!
Contact me @JeroenResoort

21. Having fun with Alexa
Jeroen Resoort
Kraków, 17-19 May 2017