Have you ever wanted to just talk to your house and have it do things for you? If you were ever a fan of Star Trek, you know what I’m talking about. “Ok Google, Tea, Earl Grey, hot.” Ok, so we’re not yet to the point of having replicators, but at least we now have the capability to speak to our house and let our home automation system take care of basic, mundane tasks.
This guide will show you how to talk to your phone using Google Now on Android to control Z-Wave scenes in your Vera home automation system.
Ok Google, One Place for All Voice Commands
I’ve talked before about Home Automation Using Tasker and Z-Wave but what if you don’t want both Google Now Voice Searching AND AutoVoice to choose from when you want to speak to your phone. Or, maybe you want to take advantage of the always-listening feature of the Google Now Launcher or the Moto X.
Well, you’re in luck. You can achieve this seamless integration.
Here is the Process
- Use voice search on Google Now on an Android phone to trigger the AutoVoice app.
- The AutoVoice app can intercept a Google voice command.
- Create a Tasker profile which is triggered by an AutoVoice Recognize command.
- Configure that Tasker profile to activate a Z-Wave scene using the AutHomationHD app’s built-in Tasker plugin.
AutoVoice’s Google Now Integration
Before, step #2 was a big process because you needed to root your phone, install Xposed Framework, install the Google Search API module for Xposed, and then configure Autovoice to use this API.
But now, the maker of AutoVoice has made it super easy. You no longer have to be rooted, and there is nothing else you need to install. You simply go into the AutoVoice settings, Google Now Integration, and check “Enable” and then make sure you go to your phone’s settings, Accessibility, and turn AutoVoice to ON.
It’s that simple!
AutHomationHD Tasker Integration
Step #4 is so easy, it barely needs mentioning. Install the app, have it find your Vera (or enter your MiOS username and password), and you’re ready to go. It gets populated with all of the scenes you have setup in your Vera.
Once the AutHomationHD app works, you can create a task in Tasker, choose Plugin, then AutHomationHD Scene, and choose the scene you want the task to activate.
Google Voice Search via Android Wear
Next step, get an Android Wear smart watch like the Moto 360 so I can say these voice commands to my wrist instead of my phone… one step closer to Star Trek!