Complete Siri Home Automation Controls Everything But The Kitchen Sink

complete-siri-home-automation

[Elvis Impersonator] spent three full days but in that time he managed to hand control of everything in his house over to Siri. The technique used is a familiar one. A Raspberry Pi running SiriProxy listens for commands from the iPhone and acts on them based on [Elvis’] predefined configuration. The difference here is that it’s not just a single device (read: lamp) that is being controlled to prove the concept. His video (embedded after the break) shows him operating an entire range of devices in his home.

The demonstration starts off with his garage door being opened and closed. From the YouTube video description we know that he’s using Trendnet IP cameras and it looks like one of them lets him see if he remembered to close the garage.  Next he disarms his home security system as shown in the image above. From there he adjusts the Nest thermostat, switches off the living room lights, and changes the TV channels.

We think the need to give voice commands would get old pretty quickly. But that aside we applaud his work to pull everything together into one single interface.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXmCiaRc9XU

30 thoughts on “Complete Siri Home Automation Controls Everything But The Kitchen Sink

    1. Technically, it can, but there’s a clause in the iOS SDK that prevents apps from O&AM (Operations,Administration,Management) of a long list of, mostly, kitchen furniture and equipment. Something to do with duplicated functionality, but I don’t see how.

    1. notdave: automation does not mean what you think it does.

      The definition of automation is: “the use of machines, control systems and information technologies to optimize productivity in the production of goods and delivery of services.”

      Therefore, home automation is the correct term.

      1. Looks to me that this is not home automation. More like remote controlling. Triggering the start of your washer, is not automating your laundry task, is just remote triggering your washer. Automation seems more like serializing tasks, triggered by the remote (i.e. You click the button, and clothes are moved to the washer, washed, moved to dryer and dried).

        Now, it’s a very cool project, and he has control over a large amount of appliances, but task automation… I don’t see it.

      2. There is no optimization. What he would do by hand he is now doing by voice. He is still doing.

        The garage door is one of the most simple examples. He still has to look at the camera to see if the door is open before he uses his voice to close it. That’s almost the exact same thing as going to see the door is open and then pressing the button.

        Automation would be, a switch on the door knows if it is up. If it is still up after x number of minutes of arriving home then closes the door. Or at least alerts the user if the garage is open and asks them if they want to close it (yes/no). Then there would have been some optimization. Right now it’s just a remote.

        Using my remote to change channels on my TV, not automation. Using my voice through siri to change channels, not automation. Having TV turned on, and tuned to the channel I like when I walk through the door after work….that’s automation.

  1. Serious inquiry; when can we ‘siri mow my lawn’, or siri clean the dishes.
    I will make a list here, a manifest, things I do not want to do, someone automate them;
    dishes
    laundry (washing, drying, folding, putting away)
    food shop
    vaccum (no, that irobot doesnt work on lotsa dog hair)
    driving to work (no train or bus goes the way i go)

  2. I had home “automation” 10 to 15 years ago. I’d say “do the washing up” or “clean your bedroom” and it happened. Sadly my “automaton” left home, grew up and is now “developing his own”

  3. I can totally understand the uses of this, however I feel this should be more of an augmented system for when you need it. Example, sitting watching tv. I want to watch adult swim, but I don’t know the channel. Just tell siri I want to watch adult swim.

  4. So everything is electronically controllable next step would be allowing a computer to make decisions based on your location GPS , patterns in behavior detects and camera image recognition.

  5. Not home automation. And I highly doubt the light. There is an edit at that point in the video so he faked it.

    This is remote control. Calling it home automation is the same as calling a remote control car a “robot” It’s not. no matter how hard you wish it was, it’s still just a remote control.

  6. What is the point of issuing voice commands if you have to press a button before you do?
    Why not just have an app with soft buttons and menus for all the things you want?
    It’ll be quicker than speaking the commands.
    When this has continuous speech recognition it’ll be cooler.

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