Connect with Amazon Alexa

Amazon Alexa provides a Smart Home API for richer home automation control without requiring the user to say the skill name, such as:

“Alexa, turn off the light.”
“Alexa, set the thermostat to cool.”
“Alexa, is the garage door open?”

Steps to Integrate an Amazon Alexa Smart Home Skill with WebServiceLK-IoT

Step1

Follow the steps in Configure IoT Device page and make sure your device is working properly with WebServiceLK-IoT platform.

Create an Amazon Alexa Smart Home Skill

Step2

Step3

Sign into the Alexa Developer Console, you can create your free account on the sign-in page. Note this must be created with the same Amazon account you use on your Alexa devices and app.

Go to Alexa Skills page if you are not, then click the Create Skill button to start the process.
Input Skill name as you like, then select your skill’s Default language.
Select Smart Home and Provision your own, then click Create skill button at top right corner.

In next screen, make sure v3 is selected in Payload version and take note of your Skill ID
Now, you have created a skeleton of Smart Home skill. In the next step we will do some additional work. Keep Alexa Developer Console open, we will need to change the skill configuration later.

Create an AWS Lambda Function

Step4

The first thing you need to do after signing into the AWS console is to create an IAM Role for Lambda execution. AWS has very strict access control, so you have to specifically define and assign the required permissions.

Click Services in the top navigation bar, expand the menu to display all AWS services, then under the Security, Identity, & Compliance section click IAM to navigate to the IAM console. Or you may use this link
Click Roles in the left panel, then click Create role, select AWS Service -> Lambda in the first page of the wizard, then click Next: Permissions
Select AWSLambdaBasicExecutionRole policy, then click Next: Tags. (Tips: you can use the search box to filter the policy)

Give your new role a name, such as AWSLambdaBasicExecutionRole-SmartHome, then click the Create role button at the bottom of the pahe. You should be able to find your new role in the roles list now.

Add Code to the Lambda Function

Step5

you need create a Lambda function.

Click Services in top navigation bar, expand the menu to display all AWS services, then under Compute section click Lambda to navigate to Lambda console. Or you may use this link

IMPORTANT - Alexa Skills are only supported in certain AWS regions Your current server location will be displayed on the top right corner (for example, Ohio), make sure you select the server closest to your location / region based on your Amazon account’s country, whilst also ensuring that it is within one of the supported regions for Alexa Skills otherwise this will not work!

Click Functions in the left navigation bar, to display the list of your Lambda functions.

Click Create function, select Author from scratch, then input a Function name.

Select Python 3.9, Python 3.8 or Python 3.7 as Runtime.

Expand the Change default execution role dropdown and make sure to select Use an existing role as Execution role, then select the role you just created from Existing role list.

Click Create function, then you can configure the details of Lambda function.

Expand the Function overview (if it isn’t already expanded), then click + Add trigger in the left part of the panel, then click Alexa Smart Home from the drop down list to add an Alexa Smart Home trigger to your Lambda function.

You will then be prompted to input the Skill ID from the skill you created in previous step. (Tip: you may need switch back to Alexa Developer Console to copy the Skill ID.) Then click Add.

Scroll down to Code source, then, if it isn’t already open the lambda_function.py.

Clear the example code, and copy the Python script from: https://github.com/lahirutm/WebserviceLK-IoT/blob/master/lambda_function.py (modified code to support Alexa’s proactive mode, see details below)

Click the Deploy button to publish updated code.

Navigate to the Configuration tab, then select Environment variables. You need to add 1 environment variable and, if needed, 3 optional variables. This is done by selecting Edit then adding the following:

BASE_URL : https://iot.webservice.lk
DEBUG : False
NOT_VERIFY_SSL : False
LONG_LIVED_ACCESS_TOKEN : [Keep Empty]

Now click the Save button in the bottom right hand corner.

Next you need to copy the ARN displayed in the top of the page, which is the identity of this Lambda function

Configure the Smart Home Service Endpoint

Step6

Now navigate back to the Alexa Developer Console. You will finish the configuration of the Smart Home skill and go to Alexa Skills page if you are not.

Find the skill you just created, click Edit link in the Actions column.
Click SMART HOME in the left navigation bar of build page.
Fill in Default endpoint under 2. Smart Home service endpoint using the ARN you copied from your Lambda function configuration.

Account Linking

Step7

Alexa needs to link your Amazon account to your WebServiceLK-IoT. Return to the Alexa Developer Console, go to Alexa Skills page if you are not.

Find the skill you just created, click Edit link in the Actions column.
Click ACCOUNT LINKING in the left navigation bar of build page
Input all information required.

Click Save button in the top right corner.

Use alexa Mobile App or Alexa web-based App

Step8

Next, you will use the Alexa Mobile App or the Alexa web-based app to link your account.

In the Alexa app, navigate to More -> Skills & Games -> Your Skills -> Dev Or In the Alexa web app, navigate to Skills -> Your Skills in the top right -> Dev Skill
Click ACCOUNT LINKING in the left navigation bar of build page
Click the Smart Home skill you just created.
Click Enable to use
A new window will open to direct you to your WebServiceLK-IoT’s login screen. Put your credentials as you registered and Login.
After you successfully login, you will be redirected back to the Alexa app.
Alexa should automatically start discovering your devices now! This is indicated by a blue ring on your physical devices. If not, ask Alexa to Discover Devices