Amazon Echo/Alexa

[TerryW]

I have a pi set up with the Alexa Voice services and indeed you must use a push button to activate listening mode. It does work pretty well. What I have started on is using the Rasberry Pi/Magic Mirror as a MQTT client. If you have an echo, you could call up and interact with Magic Mirror and your home automation and maybe have some fun “conversations” with your Magic Mirror. I think the mirror would make a great feedback device for some simple sensors around the home. You kind of end up with a home-brewed JIbo without the 500 dollar cost!

[d3r]

I also have Amazon alexa running on my rpi alongside the MM2. I say mirror, mine is on a monitor on my desk and I use it as dashboard/calendar/newscenter. I also have amazon alexa running on it. I used the guide amazon uploaded.

So the way I currently have it set up is I have the MM running on full screen and have put the alexa module as always “show on top” so I can use a mouse button to click and control alexa, while at the same time still see the other modules. Ideally, I would like to embed the alexa voice control module in the MM2. Is that something that would be possible to do?

[derMick]

Yesterday I found an update on amazons developer blog: https://developer.amazon.com/public/community/post/Tx1WVAG8L2OOXF0/Alexa-Voice-Service-Introduces-API-Update-that-Makes-It-Easier-to-Build-Hands-Fr

Now the wake up word (or voice activation) is provided. I will test the AVS/Alexa sample code during the next weeks: https://github.com/alexa/alexa-avs-sample-app/wiki/Raspberry-Pi

Or do I missed a „ready to use“ Alexa module for magic mirror?

kin regards, mick

PS: about limitations (of request etc.) I do not know, and I did not read the AVS documentation now.

[gismo2006]

I habe post this yeasterday unser General Forum. :-)

[gismo2006]

You didn´t need to push a Button now but there was a time limit of 120 days befor you have to renew the libarys…

greets gismo

[carteblanche]

I’m not a programmer so I have yet to figure out how to make a module, but I was able to follow the instructions from Amazon to get AVS/Alexa running on my rpi3 while MM2 is also running. It’s kinda cool cause Alexa just runs in the background and takes commands with the wake word “Alexa”.

The only feature I wish it had is visual feedback on the mirror. I also wish the Alexa sample app could autorun anytime I have the mirror loaded.

[darrene]

I’ve started looking at this too. I tried the AVS link as above - functionally great and easy to setup but I’m unsure how practical it is to implement.

I’m just starting to look at @whyjustin 's module here which looks to address the MM integration aspect but I think as has been mentioned, you only get 120 days of usage before you need to revisit it.

[d3r]

I think there is a confusion about the time limit. Alexa pi comes with 2 wake word engines, Sensory and kitt.ai. Sensory will expire in at least 120 days and will need to be re setup but but the kitt.ai engine doesn’t seem to have a time limit. Kitt.ai is free for personal use but needs to be licensed when used commercial.

[carteblanche]

@d3r Yes you are correct.

I have tried out both wake word engines with the Alexa pi sample app and for me the sensory engine performed much better in picking up the wake word. For some reason with snowboy (kitt.ai) I always seem to have to be very close to the mic for it to be picked up.

[carteblanche]

@darrene I saw the module from whyjustin but didn’t want to try it because it required downgrading electron.