Amazon publishes guide to using Alexa service with Raspberry Pi

Amazon has published a guide on GitHub that allows users to build their own version of the Echo device, which uses the Alexa speech recognition service. The basis is formed by a Raspberry Pi.

The purpose of the manual is not to build a full-fledged Echo, but to create a system that can use the Alexa service. For example, the Raspberry Pi version does not provide the possibility to constantly listen for any commands. But for users who prefer not to have a permanent surveillance tool at home, this may offer a solution. This self-built variant can provide you with an answer to questions about the weather after pressing a button and can play music on command.

The manual is very detailed and can therefore also be followed by the less experienced user. According to Amazon, all you need is a basic understanding of programming and a knowledge of the shell. Even the necessary hardware can still be scraped together for the average mortal. All you need to do is dust off a Raspberry Pi 2b, along with a power supply, an SD card, an Ethernet cable, a screen, a USB microphone and a USB keyboard and mouse. As you can see, a speaker is also needed, which is just not mentioned in the supplies.

The ultimate goal is to configure a working Node.js server in conjunction with a Java client. For this, the necessary software must first be installed, such as the Raspbian operating system and other dependencies. After that, the user still has to register to use the Alexa service and create a number of certificates. Then it won’t take long and the Raspberry Pi can answer questions about sports, the weather, movies, music and much more with the help of Alexa. That is only in English.