Alexa ( over echo 3) is not reply temperature on rooms asking with voice commands

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#1

Alexa ( over echo 3) can not reply if we ask temperature on room “says don’t know this” but all, my room temperature sensors seems are fine because are being discovered quick and all are displaying propperly their values on Alexa App.

On my Alexa setup I use our country originary lang to interacting with Alexa (es-ES), and not default English

I’m triying several sentences for asking (Alexa what is temperature on “room name” ,Alexa give me temperature on “room name”, Alexa temperature at “room name”, etc… ) but with no joice and always with same “unknow this” reply from Alexa.

At this moment I’m not using groups for rooms and all devices are grouped on Alexa with their “default” initial join group.

I’m using some sort of mix with mostly custom diy made esp8266/esp32, and all my devices are conected to Home Assistant (HA) and presented to Alexa trough his integrated addon (https://www.home-assistant.io/integrations/alexa/).

About that, I have several other devices trough their HA integration that are working fine over Alexa, like lights bulb (including some dimmables rgb), smart plugs, etc… and only have issue with all my temperature sensors and with all windows contact sensors.

Extrange thing I see is that all that temperature and contact sensors are being discovered and classified propperly on Alexa App, and already I can see all their temperatures and states reported in Alexa App for that I’m thinking that this issue cannot be related to the presentation or discovery process to Alexa, and only have the issue when I ask for thier values over voice commnads, so I only can conclude is a issue with Alexa voice platform that seems unable to recognice some sensors type although they are already well added on Alexa system.

What can be wrong or what I need to do for ask with voice commands to Alexa and receive propper reply values from my temperature and contact sensors ???

Thank you

#2

I’m replying for myself.

After four hours testing I can conclude about this issue is related because how I’m naming sensors devices when exposing it to Alexa in HA.

Seems if I use multiples device types (ligths, temp sensors, window contact sensors) with the including same word refering to the room name on all belong Alexa being confused and seems cannot target the correct device for the voice sentence I ask.

If I name the temperature sensors with unique words not used in any other device, Alexa is reply with value temperature correctly, so all the key is about select the right spelling sentences and naming on Alexa side, that Alexa can understand and not being confused.

Seems Alexa needs much more development about natural speak and naming, at least comparing with google assistant platform that seems understand much better the spelling contexts and human conversational.

So, definitively HA integration is working fine and seems I need work to define as Alexa like
all my sensors names and select the appropiate sentences to ask she.

#3

Have a look at

You can use the last alexa sensor to work out which alexa responds , therefore you know what room your in and you can trigger the response via HA not Alexa

#4

Thank you very much for your answer.

I understand your approach. I know using TTS can trigger any response that we want for Alexa, but this needs all voice responses be parsed on the HA side.
I think it is a much more efficient and modular approach if Alexa could correctly manage all the voice commands and their respective responses.

That’s the approach I want to take and try to make the right settings to trust the Alexa system for the entire voice “conversation” without the need for anyone else having to intervene in the voice process.

#5

The Alexa media player is much more than TTS

It will also allow you to trigger alexa routines , play alexa special sound effects, notification service as well as a media player.

Also check out using a dummy bulb, or a script in HA and expose it to Alexa via Nabu Casa . This will allow you to control HA via Alexa routines

Have fun :slight_smile: