alexa-rpi-skills

### **Voice-Controlled Home Automation Skill: "Smart Living Assistant"**

#### **1. Hardware Setup for Raspberry Pi**

**Components Required:**
- Raspberry Pi 4 (4GB RAM recommended)
- MicroSD card (32GB, Class 10)
- USB microphone (e.g., Fifine K669B)
- Speaker (e.g., 3.5mm audio jack or HDMI)
- Relay module (e.g., 5V 2-channel relay for lights/fans)
- Jumper wires
- 5V power supply

**Steps:**
1. **Flash Raspberry Pi OS:** Download Raspberry Pi Imager and flash the latest 64-bit OS (e.g., Raspberry Pi OS Lite) to the MicroSD card.
2. **Enable Interfaces:** Run `sudo raspi-config`, navigate to **Interface Options**, and enable **I2C**, **SPI**, and **Serial**. Reboot.
3. **Install Dependencies:**
   ```bash
   sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y
   sudo apt install -y python3 python3-pip python3-venv portaudio19-dev
   ```
4. **Set Up Microphone & Speaker:**
   - Plug in the USB microphone and speaker.
   - Test audio input/output with:
     ```bash
     arecord -d 5 -r 48000 -f S16_LE -c 1 test.wav
     aplay test.wav
     ```
5. **Connect Relay Module:**
   - Wire the relay module to GPIO pins (e.g., GPIO17 for a light, GPIO18 for a fan).
   - Install the RPi.GPIO library:
     ```bash
     pip3 install RPi.GPIO
     ```

#### **2. Alexa Skill Development ("Smart Living Assistant")**

**Steps:**
1. **Create Alexa Skill:**
   - Go to [Alexa Developer Console](https://developer.amazon.com/alexa/console/ask) and click **Create Skill**.
   - Name it "Smart Living Assistant" and choose **Custom** model with **Provision your own** backend.
2. **Define Invocation Name:** Set the invocation name to **"smart living"**.
3. **Add Intents:**
   - **LightControlIntent:** Handles commands like "Turn on the light" or "Turn off the light."
   - **FanControlIntent:** Handles commands like "Set the fan to 50%."
   - **StatusIntent:** Handles "What’s the status of the lights?"
4. **Configure Interaction Model:**
   - Add sample utterances:
     - `Turn {action} the {device}`
     - `Set the {device} to {percentage}%`
   - Add slots for `{action}` (on/off), `{device}` (light/fan), and `{percentage}` (0-100).
5. **Set Up Endpoint:**
   - Choose **HTTPS** as the endpoint type.
   - Enter the public URL of your Raspberry Pi (e.g., `https://your-domain.duckdns.org/alexa`).

#### **3. Integration Between Alexa and Raspberry Pi**

**Steps:**
1. **Set Up Flask Server on Raspberry Pi:**
   ```bash
   pip3 install flask flask-ask-sdk requests
   ```
   Create `app.py`:
   ```python
   from flask import Flask
   from flask_ask_sdk.skill_adapter import SkillAdapter
   from ask_sdk_core.skill_builder import SkillBuilder
   from ask_sdk_core.dispatch_components import AbstractRequestHandler
   import RPi.GPIO as GPIO
   
   app = Flask(__name__)
   skill_builder = SkillBuilder()
   
   class LightControlHandler(AbstractRequestHandler):
       def can_handle(self, handler_input):
           return handler_input.request_envelope.request.type == "IntentRequest" and handler_input.request_envelope.request.intent.name == "LightControlIntent"
       
       def handle(self, handler_input):
           slots = handler_input.request_envelope.request.intent.slots
           action = slots["action"].value
           device = slots["device"].value
           
           if device == "light":
               GPIO.output(17, action == "on")
           elif device == "fan":
               GPIO.output(18, action == "on")
           
           speech_text = f"Turning the {device} {action}."
           return handler_input.response_builder.speak(speech_text).response
   
   skill_adapter = SkillAdapter(
       skill_builder=skill_builder,
       skill_id="YOUR_SKILL_ID",
       app=app
   )
   skill_adapter.register(app=app, route="/")
   
   if __name__ == "__main__":
       GPIO.setmode(GPIO.BCM)
       GPIO.setup(17, GPIO.OUT)
       GPIO.setup(18, GPIO.OUT)
       app.run(host="0.0.0.0", port=5000)
   ```
2. **Expose Raspberry Pi to the Internet:**
   - Use **ngrok** to create a public URL:
     ```bash
     ngrok http 5000
     ```
   - Copy the HTTPS URL (e.g., `https://abc123.ngrok.io`) and paste it into the Alexa skill endpoint.
3. **Test the Skill:**
   - Use the Alexa Simulator in the Developer Console to test commands like:
     - "Alexa, ask smart living to turn on the light."
     - "Alexa, ask smart living to set the fan to 50%."

#### **4. Testing the Skill**

**Sample Voice Commands:**
1. **Turn on the light:**
   - Alexa: "Turning the light on."
   - Raspberry Pi: GPIO17 set to HIGH (light turns on).
2. **Set the fan to 50%:**
   - Alexa: "Setting the fan to 50%."
   - Raspberry Pi: GPIO18 set to PWM 50% (fan speed adjusts).
3. **What’s the status of the lights?:**
   - Alexa: "The light is currently on."

#### **5. Troubleshooting Common Issues**

1. **Microphone Not Detected:**
   - Run `arecord -l` to list audio devices. If missing, check USB connections or install drivers.
   - Solution: Reboot Raspberry Pi or try a different USB port.
2. **Alexa Skill Fails to Respond:**
   - Check the Flask server logs on Raspberry Pi (`python3 app.py`).
   - Ensure the ngrok URL is accessible and the endpoint is correctly configured in the Alexa Developer Console.
   - Solution: Restart the Flask server and verify the ngrok tunnel is active.
3. **Relay Module Not Working:**
   - Check wiring and GPIO pin assignments in `app.py`.
   - Test GPIO control manually:
     ```python
     import RPi.GPIO as GPIO
     GPIO.setmode(GPIO.BCM)
     GPIO.setup(17, GPIO.OUT)
     GPIO.output(17, GPIO.HIGH)
     ```
   - Solution: Reconnect wires or replace the relay module.

**Final Notes:**
- For production, secure the Flask server with HTTPS (e.g., using Let’s Encrypt) and implement authentication.
- Expand the skill by adding more devices (e.g., thermostat, garage door) or integrating with home automation platforms like Home Assistant.