The world of home automation is constantly changing. You used to run wires all over your home and hire professionals to install and program complex systems that cost thousands of dollars (trust me I did it). Now you can start to automate your home with an Alexa powered amazon echo dot and a plug-in lamp module for under $100. How times have changed.
So what can Alexa really do to automate my home?
A quick search on Amazon for Alexa Smart Home Skills results in over 800 results! What does this mean to you? Almost any electronic device can be controlled by Alexa.
I will breakdown these items into 4 categories:
- Security
- Comfort
- Convenience
- Entertainment
There are 2 thing you need to know before we go any further
Smart Home Hubs, do you need one?
You may have heard of something called a smart home hub, if not, now you have. While the amazon Echo line of products can do a lot on their own, they can’t do everything. Some devices need a “middle man” to communicate between the devices and Alexa.
A few of the most popular are the Samsung SmartThings and Wink Hubs. There are many other hubs out there and If you need a hub for an application I will try and point it out.
One new option when it comes to smart home hubs is the Amazon Echo Plus. Amazon introduced the Echo Plus in late 2017. For about $50 more than the Echo This device adds ZigBee communication. That means you can connect the Echo Plus to hundreds of ZigBee lights, plugs, switches, locks and more wihout purchasing a separate smart home hub.
How do you get Alexa in your Home?
The first devices you might think of are the Amazon Echo and Echo Dot. These are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Alexa enabled devices.
Amazon Products
Amazon has a full line of Echo products that are Alexa enabled. They start with basic Echo Dot a small speaker that you could place just about anywhere and barely even notice.
On the other end of the spectrum is the Echo Show. The Show features a 7” screen and dual speakers. It can be used for watching videos, checking security cameras, listening to music, video calls and more.
In addition to the Echo product family, Alexa is built into several other Amazon devices like the Tap portable Bluetooth speaker, Fire TV and the Fire line of tablets.
Click here to see the family of Alexa enabled products by Amazon
Alexa enabled products not built by Amazon
If you looked through Amazon’s selection of products and still haven’t found what you are looking for, an Alexa enabled device from another manufacturer might be just what you are looking for.
The highly acclaimed wireless speaker maker Sonos created the Sonos One speaker. This Wireless speaker has Alexa built. You can even link multiple speakers together for stereo or multi-room sound.
Alexa is also popping up in devices like the Guess Connect Smart watch, the Garmin Speak and the iHome iAVS16 Alexa enabled speaker and alarm clock.
With so many products incorporating Alexa it makes the ideal platform to base your smart home around. And besides it’s just cool to say “Alexa, set the bedroom lights to 25%” and set the mood.
Feeling more secure with Alexa
One of the most important things in life is to feel safe and secure, especially in your own home. With todays technology there are more ways than ever to enhance that feeling of security. There are several ways you can enhance your safety with Alexa.
Types of security devices that work with Alexa
- Security Alarm Systems
- Smoke, Fire and CO Detectors
- Security Cameras
- Baby Monitors
- Smart Door Locks
- Gate Controls
Here is a review of my favorite Alexa compatible smart doorbells.
Looking for a smart lock for your outdoor gate? Find out how here.
Here’s a review of the smart thermostat I chose for use with a heat pump system.
Let’s look at a few real world examples:
Example 1: An unexpected visitor
It’s around 6:30pm and your home alone making dinner. In the kitchen you are following along with a new recipe on your Echo Show. Out of nowhere you hear a knock on the front door, you weren’t expecting anyone. Without even leaving the kitchen you ask Alexa to show your Ring doorbell camera and you see its just a friend returning something they borrowed earlier that week. You tell them “my hands are a mess, but I’ll unlock the door for you”. Then you ask Alexa to unlock the front door to let them in.
If you didn’t recognize the visitor you could have just as easily left the door locked and told them to leave. Either way you didn’t have to leave the kitchen or open the front door to find out who was there.
Example 2: A late night surprise
Imagine you are sleeping in bed, a loud crashing sound suddenly wakes you. Rolling over toward you night stand you say “Alexa, show the driveway camera”. Looking at the Echo Spot that has replaced you alarm clock you Instantly see that a car has just crashed into a tree in your front yard. You call 911 and notify the authorities of accident, before getting dressed to see if you can help.
Example 3: A long day away from home
So, you planned to go out and run a few errands on a Saturday afternoon. While you were out a friend called to see if you wanted to meet up for dinner and see that new movie that just came out. Sounds great, but what about your dog who hasn’t been let out all day? You call your neighbor and to see if they can stop by and let Fiddo out for a little bit. They are happy to help, but don’t have a key or the code to your security system. Using you Alexa enabled Guess Smart Watch you disable the alarm and unlock the front door letting them in. After a call to tell you the job is done you can lock the door and reactivate the alarm.
These are only 3 examples of the security capabilities Alexa has right now. New products and applications are being added all the time.
Drop In, Voice and Video Calling
Another feature of Alexa enabled products that could be considered a security feature is the ability to make calls to almost anyone hands free. This could be useful for someone who is elderly and may be unable to reach a phone in case of an emergency. After some initial setup you can say something like “Alexa, call Mom”. The amazing thing is that due to Alexa’s voice recognition technology she knows who is making the call and will call the correct mom.
In addition to making voice and video calls, Alexa has a feature called “Drop In” when enabled this allows you to call or hear what is going on somewhere else instantly. At first, I didn’t like the idea of someone being able to “spy” on me, but there are some useful applications for this feature.
You could place and Echo Show or Spot in a nursery to be able to check in on the baby, or you could enable this feature on a dot in the kitchen, then your kids could check-in from their rooms to see what’s going on.
Another idea is you could enable the Drop In feature on a device in an elderly relatives home to make sure they are safe and sound.
Although not a security application, Drop In could be used in an office or business as an intercom system to communicate with others on your team.
Smoke, Fire and CO Detection
The last security application we will look at is Alexa’s integration with smart smoke alarms. At first you may think, what good is integrating Alexa with a fire alarm? In an emergency talking to Alexa is probably the last thing on you mind right? If you are home in the fire you are right, but what if you aren’t home?
If an alarm goes off while you are away, having a smart alarm that’s Alexa enabled allows you to get notifications on your mobile device from the Alexa app. This means that if pets or relatives are home you can contact them or the authorities right away.
Making your home more comfortable with Alexa
Now that we have looked at some was to make your home safer, let’s see what Alexa can do to things more comfortable and convenient around the house.
In section I am going to combine comfort and convenience. That’s because things like lighting and climate control can fall into both categories.
Click here for my favorite smart light switches that are Alexa compatible.
Check out this article to learn how you can control you lights with your voice.
Comfort and convenience devices that work with Alexa
- Lighting
- Fans
- Smart Outlets
- Thermostats
- Garage Door and Gate Openers
- Appliances
- Robotic Vacuum Cleaners
- Bathroom Fixtures
- Swimming Pool and Spa
Routines what they are and why you should care
Routines take Alexa and your home one step closer to what was once only available in very expensive high-end home automation systems.
Alexa app Routines
What do routines do?
They allow Alexa to control multiple devices from a single command. Without routines, you have to ask Alexa a separate command for each device you wanted to control. Routines can be setup on voice commands or with timers so they happen automatically without any prompt from you.
Examples of comfort and convenience with Alexa smart home integration
Like in the security section above let’s take a look at a few real world scenarios.
Example 1: Your morning routine
It’s a usual Monday morning, you wake up to an alarm on the Echo Spot on your night stand. After stopping the alarm, you say “Alexa, Good Morning”. You walk into the bathroom where the lights have been turned on, the shower is warming up, and an Alexa enabled bathroom mirror tells you the latest news before while you get ready to start your day.
This example involves several smart devices like the U by Moen smart shower system, the Kohler Verdera mirror and the Echo Spot.
Example 2: Arriving home
You are about to pull into your driveway after a long day at work, as you approach your home you say “Alexa, Welcome home”. As you pull in the drive way the garage door has already begun opening. When you walk inside the lights have turned on the thermostat has reset to the perfect temperature.
In this case you could be driving one of the new models by Ford, Toyota or Lexus with Alexa built in. Or you could use a device like the Logitech ZeroTouch. The lights could be Lutron or one of may others, and you could have a Nest or Ecobee thermostat.
Example 3: What can you do with a smart oven?
Let’s get back in the kitchen. Again, you are using your Echo Show. You asked Alexa to bring up All Recipes to make dinner. As you read through the recipe you ask Alexa to preheat your oven to the correct temperature. After placing the dish in the over Alexa can start a cooking timer. While dinner is cooking your son askes for some help with his homework in a different room. While away from the kitchen you ask the Echo Dot in room to check the remaining cooking time, then head back to finish getting dinner ready.
While this may not be a breath-taking application of automation, new functionality is being added all the time. For example, GE’s Alexa enabled dishwasher can keep track of how many cycles you run and reorder your pods or detergent from Amazon so you will never run out.
Entertaining with Alexa
For this last section let’s look at some other functionality you can use while entertaining. Some of these items, like lighting, will overlap with the other categories and some will be unique to Entertaining.
Entertainment devices that work with Alexa
- Lighting
- Smart Speakers
- TVs
Entertaining Example with Alexa
Example: Let’s get the party started
You have 5 minutes left before you guests are supposed to arrive, time to set the mood. “Alexa, it’s party time” is all you have to say and the smart lights in your home are turned on or off where you want them. Also, you know it gets a little warm in the living room so the ceiling fan turns on with the party routine. Next you can ask Alexa to play your favorite party station from I Heart Radio on all the smart speakers in the house.
Automation with Alexa keeps getting better
The examples above are just a short introduction of what you can do to automate your home with Amazon’s Alexa.
Amazon continues to improve Alexa’s functionality all the time. For example, the routine functionality was added in November of 2017.
In addition to the improvements Amazon makes, product manufacturers are also creating new devices that integrate with Alexa.
Thanks for reading,
Jason
