Idea: HomeKit Client "Hey Siri, turn off the sprinkler today."

[David]

Hi,

i found a very interesting project: https://github.com/brutella/hc
or https://github.com/KhaosT/HAP-NodeJS

Its a client for HomeKit. It works on Go or Node.js. So we can run this on the Raspberry or other linux systems and make a bridge from ths OS-API to HomeKit.

With this Client we can intergrate the Opensprinkler in the Apple HomeKit.
Features:
– control over voice (Siri)
– better integration in the iOS
– trigger events from other HomeKit Nodes
– HomeKit bridge for other IoT stuff
more infos here: http://selfcoded.com/home/

“Hey Siri, please turn the sprinkler off today.”

What do you think about this? 🙂

[Ray]

I think it would be a fun project to do and cool to show to friends. But frankly I’ve had enough frustration with Siri that I doubt I would use it on a day to day basis…

[Daniel]

HomeKit is good, but IFTTT is better…

Please Ray don’t forget me : https://opensprinkler.com/forums/topic/feature-request-ifttt/#post-41271…

[Ray]

Yes, I did read your reply there and have kept notes about it. I didn’t have further questions so didn’t reply again.

[blackbeardrrr]

David:

I have completed a semi-related project using a Raspberry Pi running this GitHub repo:
https://github.com/nfarina/homebridge

Using the Homebridge-CMD plugin:
https://github.com/senyoltw/homebridge-cmd

Basically, it takes in a Siri (Homekit) input, and outputs any cmd command line you set up.

I’m new to OpenSprinkler, but if OpenSprinkler allows any sort of command line operation, then it should work.

For example, if you can do something like the following at the command prompt:
opensprinkler:~ root$ opensprinkler-run zone1 now

… then it should be possible to get this working.

Have a look at homebridge, it’s a pretty fun project in general, and it most likely can be used together with OpenSprinkler.

[Ray]

You can communicate with OpenSprinkler through HTTP GET command:
https://opensprinkler.freshdesk.com/helpdesk/attachments/5043311161
Most programming languages support sending GET commands, and you can also do so in command line by using ‘curl’.

[Daniel]

Hi Ray,

I’m still expecting (hoping) for IFTTT compatibility !

Any (good) new ?

Best regards.

Daniel

[Robert]

I would avoid IFTTT, it is ok for use as a demo or toys, but the latency and unreliability for a production or mission-critical system is questionable.

Bear in mind it is a free service, so there is no incentive for good customer support or longevity. They might be buried under the weight of their own popularity.

Personally, Siri has been disappointing, I have had much more success with Amazon Echo/Alexa (I have both Siri and Echos). There is such a huge difference in having a voice command system that doesn’t require having an iPhone and taking it out of your pocket.

My wife and other family members hate using Siri but have taken to Alexa “organically”. They watched me use it and started talking to it on their own, imitating my voice commands, without my having to nudge them or instruct them in how to use it.

Alexa is also “platform neutral” because you don’t have to have an IPhone, so Android, Windows Phone, Blackberry, and non-phone users are not left out.

I would suggest anyone working on plug-ins or integrations take at look at the Echo. Right now, it is the most popular voice control and “Multi-product automation hub”. (Yeah, Google has an Echo clone coming out later this year, but nobody knows if it will be a dud like many of their other hardware products or a contender – too early to bet on that yet.)

[Ray]

Personally I am really looking forward to Google Home, mostly because ‘OK google’ is by far the most usable and reliable voice-based control I’ve played with. I use a Nexus phone and routinely use ‘OK google’ to send text messages, perform searches and so on. Its accuracy is great. I also have an Echo, but I’ve had plenty of amusing moments where it does something weird or completely misunderstood what I was asking…

[Robert]

Google’s unabashed clone of the Amazon Echo is interesting. They certainly have more cloud/back-end capability than Amazon when it comes to services and natural language parsing.

Amazon Echo is limited by only understanding US English and the although it has good speech recognition, I would call the interface a “voice command line” as it doesn’t have any real natural language understanding or context.

Google is really good, too good, on having context and being able to parse input based on current or prior contextual history. Unfortunately, that is often “too good”, I don’t like Google knowing so much about me and what I have done and Google is fast and loose when it comes to privacy – they only care about selling data to advertisers, not protecting user privacy.

Ideally, I would like to see Apple’s Siri 3rd party toolkit continue to evolve (what they just opened up at WWDC 2016 is very interesting).

It would be awesome if Apple, or maybe a smart 3rd party h/w guy, were to develop a far-field microphone array that perhaps used bluetooth to connect to Siri. One or more remote microphones plus Siri would be strong competition to Amazon Echo and the upcoming Google device.

Until Apple has some kind of microphone input that is not tied to pulling your phone out of your pocket (and limited to having to have an iOS phone/device), they are going to be left out of the “voice revolution” – at least for home control.

[Ray]

I just got a email from a user describing how he has been able to use OpenSprinkler with Amazon Echo through IFTTT. I will try it out myself and hopefully blog about it.

[timcharper]

I have created an integration for Homebridge: https://github.com/timcharper/homebridge-opensprinkler

“Hey Siri, turn off my sprinklers” works, plus some other niceties.

There’s not a really good way to manipulate run-once programs with a valve-by-valve basis, so I haven’t implemented anything on that front yet. Would welcome input from the community / OpenSprinkler creator on how to best go about this.

[Ray]

Cool. Thanks for sharing!

[Samer]

@timcharper Thank you for this plugin! Your work on homebridge-og is amazing and has been making my life easier since your last PR. Can’t wait to put this to use too.

[Author]

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