Amazon Echo Integration With Roomba

This is an Amazon Echo Skill created to communicate with Roomba using Alexa Skills Kit.

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8xkrZ0L_P4

Sample Usage

Pre-requisites:

Build and install Boomba app to your Android device.
Build/Buy a Roomba Bluetooth adapter.
Pair your phone with Roomba using the Bluetooth adapter and remember the device name.

Interaction

You: Alexa, talk to roomba
Alexa: You have not registered yet, would you like to register?
You: Yes

At this point, the skill creates a registration for you based on the userId associated with Echo and creates a pairing code for your phone. This code is available in the Echo card

Alexa: Your device activation code is [some code]. Please enter the code in the companion app.

Open the Boomba app and enter the code in the first text box. While you are at it, enter the paired Bluetooth device name in the second text box. That's pretty much it.

You: Alexa, ask Roomba to start cleaning

Other utterances

Beeping

Alexa, ask roomba to beep
Alexa, ask roomba where are you
Alexa, ask roomba to play a song

Cleaning

Alexa, ask roomba to start cleaning
Alexa, ask roomba to clean
Alexa, ask roomba to start cleaning my house
Alexa, ask roomba to clean my house

Docking

Alexa, ask roomba to dock
Alexa, ask roomba to go back to the dock
Alexa, ask roomba to dock itself
Alexa, ask roomba to stop
Alexa, ask roomba to stop cleaning
Alexa, ask roomba stop cleaning

Sleeping

Alexa, ask roomba to sleep
Alexa, ask roomba to go to sleep
Alexa, ask roomba to turn off
Alexa, ask roomba to power off

Setup

There are three components to get this all working:

Alexa Roomba Skill (Web service)

Speechlet based web service using Guice for dependency injection
Local SQLite database
Needs your application's GCM API Key for sending messages to your Android device.

Boomba - Companion Android Application

Simple Android application requiring Bluetooth and Google Play Services
Registers a listener for messages from Alexa roomba skill.
Sends the phone's GCM registration id to Alexa roomba skill to pair with the Amazon Echo user id.
Communicates with Roomba over Bluetooth using Serial Control Interface(pdf)

Roomba Bluetooth Adapter

Buy RooTooth: 249.95 USD as of 27th July 2015
Build your own adapter: The article is old (~2006) but it's still correct. The roomba models have obviously upgraded and that specific model of Bluetooth modem isn't available on Sparkfun website. I used the BlueSMiRF Silver with same circuit diagram. Cost was around 60 USD including the components and other material.

Have fun!

Wiki

alexa-roomba / Home