2020 International Conference on Computational Science and Computational Intelligence (CSCI) Customized Services Using Voice Assistants Kori Painchaud and Leonidas Deligiannidis Computer Science & Networking Wentworth Institute of Technology Boston, MA 02115, USA {painchaudk | deligiannidisl}@wit.edu Abstract - Internet of Things (IoT) devices can be defined as a versions, called the Google Home Mini and the Amazon collection of computing devices that communicate and transfer data Echo Dot. The main difference is the size, which allows the with one another. As the popularity of IoT devices increases, users bigger products (Google Home and Amazon Echo) to have want to maximize the functionality of their devices. Voice-enabled better sound, due to their speakers. The Google Home has one IoT devices serve and assist the user by performing functions like two-inch driver and dual two-inch passive radiators, while the playing music, controlling lights, setting alarms and reminders, and much more. The popularity of these devices has grown, and they Mini only has a 40mm driver [4]. Drivers push out sound appeal to consumers because of the available accessories that can be waves, while passive radiators produce more power and purchased and connected to, such as smart lights, smart shades, etc. resonance, equating to better sound quality. Whether it be the These smart accessories can connect to devices such as the Google Google Home Mini, or Amazon Echo Dot, the function of the Home or the Amazon Echo, allowing the user to control multiple devices stays the same. Their purpose is to be a speaker which common house functions with their voice. This paper demonstrates can provide users with answers, play music, and control other how to control non-smart LED lights using voice commands with smart accessories. Users can have an array of smart devices smart home devices. A service known as IFTTT, “If This, Then and products all controlled seamlessly by a Google Home or That”, is utilized to add custom commands to two smart speakers. an Amazon Echo Dot. This paper shows how accessible and simple it is for an individual to control a non-smart device using voice commands, while Many individuals prefer an Amazon Echo Dot over a shedding light on how the use of VPAs can aid people with Google Home Mini, due to its capabilities regarding Amazon disabilities. The security risks and threats of using IFTTT are integration. Ordering products from Amazon using an addressed. Amazon Echo Dot is very easy to do, especially with the Amazon Dash Button. The Amazon Dash Button is a wireless Keywords: Internet of Things, Voice Assistants, IFTTT device that orders certain products with just the click of a button. Other users prefer a Google Home because it has a I. INTRODUCTION better natural language processor [5]. Natural language In 1962 at the Seattle World’s Fair, IBM debuted the first processors (NLP) “has emerged from fields such as artificial voice assistant. The assistant was called Shoebox, and it intelligence, linguistics, formal languages, and compilers” could “perform mathematical functions and recognize 16 [6]. This is an advantage because NLP helps computers spoken words as well as digits 0-9” [2]. Since then, Virtual interpret the human language and respond in a Private Assistants (VPAs) technology has grown and comprehensive manner. Deep Neural Networks, which integrated itself into our daily lives. It is said that the primary highlights the main components of dialogue systems, helped way for humans to get information quickly is the visual Google improve Google Assistant. Amazon uses automatic channel, and the secondary way being auditory [3]. Now, speech recognition (ASR) which converts speech to text with Apple, Google, Microsoft, Samsung, and Amazon all have natural language understanding (NLP) [7]. Both devices, the their own adaptations of VPAs. However, Samsung, Google, Amazon Echo Dot and the Google Home Mini are popular and Apple integrate their own VPAs into smart phones, and competitive. Since each device has their strong suit, it is which can perform advanced tasks to aid the user. Some conceivable that an individual would purchase both devices common tasks include telling the user the weather forecast, and intend on using them together. However, this creates looking up information on the Internet, controlling music, issues of compatibility between the two devices. opening applications, and controlling smart home devices, The purpose of the IFTTT platform/service is to help etc. users’ products and services smoothly work together [8]. The Google Assistant does not simply integrate itself in use of this service solves the problem of compatibility smartphones. There is a product, Google Home, that is solely between the Amazon Echo Dot and Google Home Mini. The controlled using voice commands. Amazon, which uses platform allows a user to use both devices to control the LED Alexa as the voice assistant, has a similar product called the light strip, without having to pick one or the other, meaning Amazon Echo [1]. Both products have smaller product the Echo Dot and Home Mini will both have the ability to 978-1-7281-7624-6/20/$31.00 ©2020 IEEE 1060 DOI 10.1109/CSCI51800.2020.00197 turn on and off the light strip. Using a platform like IFTTT place, etc.” [9]. This service can be run on an Android device, will also benefit the environment. If consumers use this and requires a GPS system, a three-axis gyroscope, and service to make non-smart products into smart products, then internet connection. The service takes a user’s input and it saves them from purchasing new smart products and responds back with a human voice. Users can use this service disposing the old non-smart products. The IFTTT service for navigation because the voice assistant will tell them how allows consumers to “repurpose” non-smart products into to get to their destination based of their current location. The smart products that can be voice controlled. system also can describe the foreground of where they are In this paper we will demonstrate and discuss how to walking. The security of the user is also thought of; and they control LED strip lights, or any other electrical accessory, use an algorithm to detect any unexpected falls. If there is an using voice commands on both the Amazon Echo Dot and unexpected fall, the system will notify the user’s guardian by Google Home Mini, and the security risks of using IFTTT or sending them the location where the fall occurred [9]. any other third-party application. The IFTTT platform allows On the same note, individuals from the University of users to create and connect services to both the Amazon Echo Indonesia designed an IoT Smart Home system using Google Dot and the Google Home Mini. A few examples of IFTTT Assistant. The system was designed specifically to aid services include Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, Philips physically disabled people, who struggle with turning on Hue, Ring, and many more. Philips Hue is a company that switches and other mechanisms in their homes. They believe specializes in making smart bulbs and lights. Ring is a home that smart homes “provides comfort, safety, energy-saving and smart security company that manufactures products like potential for the house at any time, which gives a better doorbells, indoor/outdoor security cameras, and smart quality of life for the people” [10]. Using only voice lighting. The company is owned by Amazon and their smart commands, the smart home system was designed to control products can be controlled by smart homes, such as the electronic equipment. These devices could be a television, Google Home or the Amazon Echo. Ring is an IFTTT service lights, or fans [10]. The smart home system would allow that allows for many different projects, an example being a individuals with physical disabilities the ability to turn lights project where your lights (Philips Hue) blink when the and other devices on and off using voice commands. The doorbell rings. This visually alerts the people in the home that notion that VPAs can help people with disabilities gives someone is at the door. The project uses the Ring and Philips meaning and purpose to VPA projects. Hue service. The two services that are used in this paper are There is a wide array of projects available online relating Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa. Webhooks, which to the Google Home and the Amazon Alexa. One project that connect data to the specified Uniform Resource Locator gave inspiration to this paper was a project called “Google (URL), are used so the devices can interact with a Raspberry Home + Raspberry Pi Power Strip” [11]. This specific Pi, which in turn can be connected to other environmental project used the IFTTT platform to create a smart power strip. sensors or relay controllers, etc. For this specific project, The author of the project achieved this using a Google Home, there will be multiple webhooks for the Google Home Mini Raspberry Pi, GPIO cables, a power strip, and three two- and the Amazon Echo Dot, all using the same URL. Other channel relays. The objective of the project was to create a than an Amazon Echo Dot and a Google Home Mini, smart power strip for non-smart devices to plug in to. Smart hardware includes: A Raspberry Pi model 4B, a SunFounder accessories like a light bulb are more expensive than a non- two-channel relay, and white LED strip lights. The white smart bulb. Making a smart power strip will allow users to LED strip lights will be wired to a channel/input of the two- voice control non-smart devices with a Google Home. channel relay, and the relay will be wired to the Raspberry Pi Lamps, fans, and anything with two states could be plugged using female to female general input output (GPIO) cables.