Blog post about Ezlo VOI™

Hi all,

You can now learn more about our newest feature, Ezlo VOI™ in this blog post .

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Will this let us use these devices as triggers or actions in scenes and other such automations (PLEG, Reactor)?

Something like: Google Home integrated fan turns off because Vera went to away mode, triggered by an Alexa paired motion sensor?

Hi,

Yes, in the current version you can create scenes with Alexa/Google connected devices as actions. You can not yet use them in triggers, but we are working on this.

Please note Ezlo VOI™ is available for the following controllers: Ezlo Atom, Ezlo PlugHub, Vera Edge that runs on the Ezlo linux firmware.

PLEG, Reactor and other plugins are not yet supported in the Ezlo platform. We just released in the community some pre-alpha API documentation few days ago.

For now you can add as an action the Google Home integrated fan to be turned off, based on the triggers available in the Ezlo platform (device, schedule, manual).

Looks like the link no longer works.

Blog not accessible.

Edit… what’s so special about this?

We are checking this. Thanks for the notice!

Will we see this functionality on the Plus?

@dJOS is one of the early users of this feature, perhaps he can share his experiences about it perhaps? (Because @dJOS got it spot on about what this feature is about!)

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It allows you to move over routines from Alexa to your Edge for those items that don’t have native Vera integration and keep all your automation where it should be, on your HAC.

PS, it’s been down more than up for me so far but that’s to be expected for a Beta (and testing is fun).

I agree that this is a bigger deal than most casual users will appreciate right off. For me, jockeying about with various home automation ecosystems, it’s an ongoing challenge to decide how best to control devices who otherwise don’t talk to each other.

Gonna have fun trying this out as soon as I prepare my Edge!

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Will it be possible to specify which Alexa should receive the command?
I have 8 Alexa devices under my account, but spread across multiple properties and rooms, which causes certain commands to make sense only at a given location, not others.

Hi @LibraSun you must just specify on which Alexa device the command to be executed by using the name you set for the Alexa device. For example: “play music on my kitchen dot”. Where kitchen dot is the name of the Alexa device.

here are the links to:

Get Started with VOI
VOI - Alexa Commands list and examples
VOI - Google Commands list and examples

have fun!

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we found a bug in the kafka queue that was not behaving well (yep, one of those random bugs difficult to replicate!!)…doing a release on monday that should increase stability… Please keep testing! Very helpful.

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That rather what i imagined. The first thing i intend to test is whether YOU can tell a Spot in our bedroom to “Turn off screen” because that’s a feature Amazon never allowed to be automated from its own touchscreen, settings nor in Routines!!!

by “screen” am i right to assume a TV?
if so, why do you need to tell the Alexa in that room? You can simply tell “Alexa using VOI” to turn off that specific screen…without having to identify the room which the alexa is in.

Nope, the Echo Spot is one of the Amazon devices with an actual display screen (“face”), which normally shows a clock. Despite the company’s attempt to include “Dimming” or “Night Mode” features, these (and going completely dark!) are not honored without actual voice command.

I’ve complained for years now about this, because it means talking over the head of a bedroom partner who may be sleeping or trying to fall asleep. Getting the action into a VOI request would be a godsend!

Why would you bother when the spot has an automatic night mode based on ambient light and can switch to showing a red time display only?

in VOI you can send a test command…
why don’t you try it?

Will do once I (a) own an Edge (it’s on its way), (b) get the Linux alpha installed, and (c) write some Scenes. And shall report back with my findings. :wink:

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Hi Libra,

Let me know if you can make it work on an Edge. I sure cannot. Neither Alexa nor Google.

Cheers Rene

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