Connecting apps and IoT devices to Google home / assistant

Development
1

OK I’m not sure but from what I understand the Google home device is just a computer running google assistant software. I have had one for about a year and use it mostly to play my spotify music.

I also know the assistant api or software can be installed on a Raspberry pi. And one time I made a Google Actions ‘thing’ that when I gave my GH the voice command, the assistant inside would contact the Googme Assistant api (I guess), match the command to the Google Action, sent the response to the ip I configured, went thru nginx server running on my RPi and ran the python script that toggled the gpio pin connected to the relay that controlled my lights. Phew!

#1. OK so I was wondering, there is no way to contain that flow to my local network or does it have to go out to Google assistant api servers?

#2. I’m working on a more complete version of the rpi/lights relay and I want to know if there is a better way to work with Google on these devices? Is there a better way or should I do something differently as I’m working on this home solution?

2

A1. NO. “Ok Google”/Google home commands are processed at Google server then cmand sent to local HA

A2. NO.

Maybe look at Conversation component or Snips for 100% local voice processing

3

Oh ok, but these arent Google APIs, or are they?

4

No, Google API require WAN.

If you want LAN only currently you must use some other method like those I list.

5

OK I just realized, this forum is not a Google Home forum is it? It’s like a digital assistant forum covering all the ones available?

But I think I’d rather use the Google one because my project requires internet connectivity to a Google home device.

6

I think Google home needs wan access to work?

If you want Lan use snips.ai

7

Ok, so Im at the point where im ready to just install home assistant on my rpi2 via a new SDcard in order to keep my old one just in case. Should I etch raspbian stretch onto the sd card or hass.io like the community article suggests?

Someone at raspberrypi.org suggested stretch, i guess because that gives me a raspbian OS to use with other things as well as the home assistant installed over that. Right?

8

Just go with Hass.io Rpi2 not that powerful to run loss of other things. Hass.io is easier. The hass.io add-ons can run loss of other things if you decided to do that anyway.

9

Ok if I only install hass.io, could I still access rpi2’s GPIO pins? Could I still run python scripts?