Amazon Echo spatial awareness, how is it being used?

[ahwman]

I read today that the Amazon Echo will soon be able to know which room a user is in based on spatial awareness. That said, it sounds like it could open up a whole new world to ISY users. I have had to do a LOT of custom programming via the ISY to accomplish this very thing using motion sensors and variables. Is anyone currently using this new feature?

 

Devs, can and will this new functionality be adapted to v3 of the Home Connect feature via the ISY portal?

 

Thanks,

Chuck

[ScottAvery]

So far Amazon has not made any effort to offer any location or Alexa source identification information through the API.

[fryfrog]

It exists and works for some people, is achieved in an interesting way. You just add an echo to a group. But I can't get it to work myself.

http://www.vmwareinfo.com/2017/10/speak-naturally-to-your-alexa-context.html

 

https://www.reddit.com/r/homeautomation/comments/79bi8w/speak_naturally_to_your_alexa_context_aware/

Edited November 1, 2017 by fryfrog

[ScottAvery]

It exists and works for some people, is achieved in an interesting way. You just add an echo to a group. But I can't get it to work myself.

 

http://www.vmwareinfo.com/2017/10/speak-naturally-to-your-alexa-context.html

 

https://www.reddit.com/r/homeautomation/comments/79bi8w/speak_naturally_to_your_alexa_context_aware/

I assumed spatial awareness was going to be based on the microphone hearing activity, not Alexa being addressed by voice.  What is their definition of Spatial Awareness?

[fryfrog]

Maybe we're talking about different things? Do you have a link?

The thing that exists and works *now* (but not for ISY until v3 gets approved) is Echo specific groups. For example, you have an Echo in your kitchen and you create a smart group called Kitchen and you add to it that *one* echo and all the kitchen lights you'd normally want turned on. Now when you say "Alexa, turn on the lights" to that Echo... the lights in that group turn on. An Echo can only be in *one* group, which is why this works and is simple and is elegant. But it does mean you need an Echo in each room.

It sounds like you think they have some way to have an Echo in say room A and C, then someone in room B (where there is no echo) can say something and Echo's in A and C will realize you were in room B. This sounds *much* harder and I doubt this is what they mean or are working on.