WEBVTT 00:00.340 --> 00:03.640 In this lesson, we are going to create a new Alexa skill. 00:03.640 --> 00:09.760 So a voice assistant action that performs a specific operation when it is activated. 00:09.940 --> 00:16.510 Specifically, the action that we are going to develop will enable the Voice assistant to send several 00:16.510 --> 00:20.560 comments to the robot in response to different received voice commands. 00:21.270 --> 00:22.710 To develop an Alexa skill. 00:23.070 --> 00:29.820 Amazon provides a user friendly web application so a developer console where the developers can not 00:29.820 --> 00:36.510 only create new skills and voice assistant actions, but also can test and activate those actions using 00:36.510 --> 00:40.950 their own voice as if they were interacting with a real voice assistant. 00:41.280 --> 00:51.330 So to find the Alexa developer console, let's type on Google Alexa Developer console or just click 00:51.330 --> 00:54.390 on the link that I leave in the description of this course. 00:54.480 --> 00:56.940 So let's click on the first one. 00:58.540 --> 01:03.790 And here, if you already have an Amazon account, you can use it also to access to the Alexa developer 01:03.790 --> 01:04.430 console. 01:04.450 --> 01:06.670 So here, let's click on login. 01:06.670 --> 01:09.580 And now here you can use your Amazon account. 01:09.580 --> 01:14.770 So I will use my own account, but if you don't have one, you can register here. 01:15.410 --> 01:17.270 So let's log in. 01:19.900 --> 01:24.200 And in this developer console, we can start by creating a new skill. 01:24.220 --> 01:28.810 So let's click here on the developer console. 01:29.200 --> 01:30.960 So let's go to the developer console. 01:30.970 --> 01:36.580 This will open a new link and here we can start creating our skill so our Alexa skill. 01:37.120 --> 01:42.070 Let's start by clicking on Create Skill and now let's give it a name. 01:42.070 --> 01:45.100 So let's, for example, call it as our robot. 01:46.480 --> 01:48.010 That is the Arduino bot. 01:48.040 --> 01:50.490 Next, we need to define also a language. 01:50.500 --> 01:52.750 Let's use English us. 01:52.960 --> 01:55.540 So let's click on next here. 01:55.540 --> 01:59.920 We also need to select the type of experience let's set to other. 02:00.560 --> 02:03.980 And then we need to select a model to begin creating our skill. 02:03.980 --> 02:10.880 And while Amazon Alexa offers a variety of predefined models for interacting with Alexa, there is currently 02:10.880 --> 02:14.690 no model that is specifically for interacting with our robot and Ros2. 02:15.050 --> 02:17.660 Therefore, let's start with a custom model. 02:17.660 --> 02:23.420 So this one here in which we are going to build our skill and our interaction model with the robot. 02:24.100 --> 02:26.530 So then let's move down. 02:26.530 --> 02:29.560 And the next we need to select the hosting service. 02:29.560 --> 02:35.050 Since Alexa needs to communicate and exchange information with our skill through the Internet. 02:35.050 --> 02:40.570 And so we are going to configure how we intend to make our new skill accessible to the Internet. 02:40.870 --> 02:47.110 As mentioned in the theoretical lessons, we are going to use a software called Ngrok that creates and 02:47.110 --> 02:49.450 hosts a web service on our PC. 02:49.780 --> 02:57.220 So this web service will serve as access point for the Alexa Assistant to send commands to our PC and 02:57.220 --> 02:58.450 so to our robot. 02:58.480 --> 03:01.990 Therefore, let's choose the provide on your own. 03:01.990 --> 03:03.490 So let's choose the third one. 03:03.790 --> 03:06.100 And now let's click on next. 03:07.030 --> 03:09.610 And let's click on Start from scratch. 03:09.850 --> 03:11.920 So still click on Next. 03:12.190 --> 03:14.620 And now we can finally create our skill. 03:16.830 --> 03:18.720 This will take a couple of seconds. 03:18.720 --> 03:22.530 So as here in order to build our skill. 03:27.890 --> 03:30.590 We can close this window here and now. 03:30.590 --> 03:34.070 Let's wait for the console to finish creating and configuring. 03:34.070 --> 03:39.020 So as we can see here, there is building progress in order to start configuring it. 03:41.810 --> 03:48.040 Now, once this is done so we can start actually customizing this skill by defining. 03:48.050 --> 03:50.120 So here an invocation name. 03:50.120 --> 03:54.140 So this is a word or a phrase that we want to use to start. 03:54.140 --> 03:57.290 So to activate the interaction with our skill. 03:57.650 --> 04:05.480 For example, let's type the phrase activate the robot. 04:05.810 --> 04:10.940 For example, let's use the phrase activate robot. 04:11.180 --> 04:18.020 This means that whenever we say Alexa activate Robot, the voice assistant will understand that we want 04:18.020 --> 04:19.400 to interact with this skill. 04:19.400 --> 04:24.140 And so we'll begin the communication with the web service that we are hosting on our PC. 04:24.140 --> 04:27.080 And so it will begin to send commands to the robot. 04:27.380 --> 04:29.360 Let's save this invocation name. 04:29.360 --> 04:31.100 So let's click on Save. 04:33.420 --> 04:36.690 And now we can move on to the interaction model. 04:36.690 --> 04:40.650 So let's click here on the interaction model and then to the intents. 04:41.340 --> 04:47.760 So here are listed all the skill functionalities, so all the voice commands that are required to activate 04:47.760 --> 04:49.860 each functionality by default. 04:49.860 --> 04:56.580 We can see that just by creating this skill, some intents are created by default, so are already present 04:56.580 --> 05:02.730 and these are the ones to interact with the skill in order to cancel it or to stop the interaction with 05:02.730 --> 05:03.330 Alexa. 05:04.270 --> 05:08.680 Now let's, for example, delete the word intent. 05:08.980 --> 05:13.780 Let's remove this one and let's create instead a new one. 05:13.780 --> 05:18.220 And let's call this one pick intent. 05:18.430 --> 05:23.830 And now we need to add a list of the commands that we are going to need to activate this intent. 05:23.920 --> 05:26.830 So first, let's create this custom intent. 05:26.830 --> 05:35.980 And now, for example, the command that can activate this pick action is pick up this pen. 05:36.340 --> 05:47.950 So let's press enter or also grab the pen or also, for example, we can say pick the pen. 05:48.160 --> 05:54.640 So whenever we say one of these three commands to the Alexa assistant, it will automatically send a 05:54.640 --> 05:56.380 goal to our action server. 05:56.390 --> 06:02.410 So to our task server that is available on the robot and it will bring the robot in the pick position. 06:03.960 --> 06:05.610 We can also add more comments. 06:05.610 --> 06:11.280 So, for example, if you want, you can also add more phrases that you want to say if you want to enable 06:11.280 --> 06:12.240 the intent. 06:12.240 --> 06:15.300 But for the moment, we are happy about these three comments. 06:15.300 --> 06:16.680 So these are enough. 06:16.680 --> 06:19.800 And now let's proceed to create a new intent. 06:19.950 --> 06:22.110 So let's go back to the intents. 06:22.140 --> 06:26.220 Now we can see that we have our pick intent here has been created correctly. 06:26.220 --> 06:29.040 And also it has three phrases. 06:29.040 --> 06:33.150 So we can say three different comments to activate this pick intent. 06:33.860 --> 06:39.920 Let's create a new one and let's call this one sleep indent. 06:40.190 --> 06:44.120 Now let's create this custom intent and we want to activate this one. 06:44.120 --> 06:53.090 When we say the phrase rest or sleep or turn off the robot. 06:54.160 --> 06:59.860 So when we say one of these three phrases, basically the intent is the intent will be activated and 06:59.860 --> 07:02.560 this will send a slip command to the robot. 07:02.560 --> 07:03.910 So to the task server. 07:04.800 --> 07:05.880 Let's move on. 07:06.060 --> 07:09.000 So let's go back, let's say first. 07:10.860 --> 07:12.780 And then let's go back to the intense. 07:13.860 --> 07:16.110 And let's add one last intent. 07:16.140 --> 07:22.710 So here and let's call this one wake intent. 07:22.740 --> 07:24.810 So let's create this intent. 07:25.050 --> 07:31.110 And now let's add the list of the commands that we want to use in order to activate this wake intent. 07:31.230 --> 07:44.520 For example, the phrase wake up the robot or also activate the robot, or also, for example, just 07:44.520 --> 07:45.180 wake up. 07:45.300 --> 07:47.790 Let's save also this intent. 07:49.650 --> 07:55.380 And now if we go back in the intense following, the same procedure, if you wish, you can continue 07:55.380 --> 08:01.740 adding functionalities to the Alexa skill, sending actions to the robot and creating also a more complex 08:01.740 --> 08:03.480 voice interaction model. 08:03.480 --> 08:05.520 And so with more capabilities. 08:05.670 --> 08:11.530 For now, I will stop here and we will move on configuring the next section of the console. 08:11.550 --> 08:14.550 So let's go the next section. 08:15.890 --> 08:17.780 Is the endpoint section. 08:17.780 --> 08:20.870 So this one here is the one that we need to configure now. 08:21.940 --> 08:22.570 Here. 08:22.570 --> 08:27.460 We need to indicate the address that Alexa is to use for the communication with the robot. 08:27.460 --> 08:34.780 And so for the communication with our PC, since we plan to provide and host the robots kill ourselves 08:34.780 --> 08:41.020 using Andyrock, we can choose here the protocol to be Https. 08:41.380 --> 08:47.500 And then for now, here, let's enter a placeholder address in the Uri field. 08:47.500 --> 08:51.040 So here and under the default region. 08:51.040 --> 09:00.010 So here, let's just say for example, https and rock.io. 09:00.010 --> 09:06.580 But we will come back later to modify this address with the one that Ngrok will provide us once we start 09:06.630 --> 09:07.260 Andyrock. 09:08.060 --> 09:08.540 Next. 09:08.540 --> 09:12.610 We also need to configure the SSL certificate type. 09:12.620 --> 09:19.610 So let's press on this window and let's click on the My development endpoint is a sub domain. 09:19.610 --> 09:21.410 So let's click on this one. 09:21.560 --> 09:24.680 And now we can save this configuration of the endpoint. 09:24.680 --> 09:26.960 So let's save this one. 09:26.990 --> 09:32.240 Even though, as I said, we will come back to modify in the future, this one here. 09:32.240 --> 09:39.020 So basically we are going to replace this one with the actual address that Ngrok will provide us. 09:40.380 --> 09:42.870 Now we can click on save. 09:42.870 --> 09:43.320 So. 09:44.620 --> 09:49.450 This saved the interaction model and now we can go back to our skill. 09:49.480 --> 09:51.760 So here to your skill. 09:51.940 --> 09:54.450 And now actually we can click on the Arduino bot. 09:54.460 --> 09:59.250 That is the name that we gave to our skill and now we can click on Build the Skill. 09:59.260 --> 10:06.250 So let's press build and this process will create the voice interaction model and the natural language 10:06.250 --> 10:12.070 processing for this skill, enabling it to convert and to understand the voice commands and also to 10:12.070 --> 10:14.020 activate the corresponding intents. 10:20.960 --> 10:26.420 Once the build of the voice interaction model is completed, we can proceed to test it. 10:26.450 --> 10:32.510 Although anyway, it won't be able to communicate with our robot yet, but at least we can see that 10:32.510 --> 10:38.210 the type and the content of the message that Alexa is going to try to send to the skill are correct. 10:38.360 --> 10:41.450 So let's go to the test section here. 10:42.620 --> 10:48.800 And here in this section, we can interact with the Alexa voice assistant as if we had a real Alexa 10:48.800 --> 10:49.280 device. 10:49.280 --> 10:52.010 And so we can use this one to test our skill. 10:52.370 --> 10:55.580 And so let's allow the usage of the microphone. 10:56.210 --> 10:59.870 And then let's set this one to the development. 10:59.870 --> 11:07.640 So now we are able to test our skill and now we can interact with here with the voice assistant both 11:07.640 --> 11:11.750 we can press the microphone and keep pressed this symbol here. 11:11.750 --> 11:16.280 So this icon here or also we can just type here the command. 11:16.550 --> 11:20.360 So for example, let's press this button. 11:21.450 --> 11:22.950 Activate robot. 11:26.510 --> 11:28.910 I am unable to reach the requested skill. 11:29.390 --> 11:35.420 And although Alexa returned with an error, since we have entered a placeholder address for the communication 11:35.420 --> 11:36.160 with our skill. 11:36.170 --> 11:43.250 So basically the voice assistant was not able to contact our service and so did not receive any response. 11:43.430 --> 11:49.070 However, the interesting part of this test is the message that appears in this console, and this is 11:49.070 --> 11:55.400 basically a Json message that the voice assistant in the next lesson will send to our web server. 11:55.400 --> 11:58.490 So to the web server that we are going to host on our PC. 11:58.490 --> 12:05.090 So this is the Json that we have to receive and also to interpret in order to then activate the corresponding 12:05.090 --> 12:05.780 action. 12:06.730 --> 12:10.270 For example, if we scroll at the end of this message. 12:10.360 --> 12:17.480 So here the interesting part is the type of the request that Alexa is sending to us. 12:17.500 --> 12:24.520 So, for example, now the assistant is requesting the launch request and this is always the first message. 12:24.520 --> 12:30.040 So the entry point of the interaction between the voice assistant and the Web service on our PC. 12:30.430 --> 12:37.300 All the other messages that Alexa will exchange with our skill so with our web server will have a similar 12:37.300 --> 12:37.960 format. 12:37.960 --> 12:43.360 And so they will have the request and they will have a field name type. 12:43.360 --> 12:48.820 And this will contain the type of the request that the assistant wants us to perform. 12:48.820 --> 12:55.180 So, for example, this in the future will contain the peak intent or also it will contain the wake 12:55.180 --> 12:55.900 up intent. 12:55.900 --> 12:59.140 And so basically all the intents that we have defined. 12:59.740 --> 13:04.170 Therefore, in the next lessons, we are going to create the code for our skill. 13:04.180 --> 13:10.690 So we are going to implement the logic that receives this Json message, decode this message and also 13:10.690 --> 13:17.260 based on the type of the request that it received communicates with the robot and Soviet Russia and 13:17.260 --> 13:20.350 moves the robot in order to perform a specific task.