Amazon came out with three amazing products, the Echo, Dot, and Tap that all have on thing in common – Alexa Voice Service. By activating the feature users access music, information, news, sports scores, weather, and more. There is a growing number of smart home devices and applications that work with the Echo, Dot and Tap that are opening doors to greater possibilities for everyone, especially for people with physical disabilities that limit them from using their arms and legs. Check out Amazon Echo Part 1: a consumer product with huge assistive technology potential! , Amazon Echo Part 2: Echo + IFTTT = A match made in the Internet of Things, and Amazon Echo Part 3: whats the difference between the Amazon Echo, Dot, and Tap? to learn more.
One amazing product Echo works with is Logitech’s Harmony Hub. The Harmony Hub and app allow users to control multiple appliances on one digital device. People can use their smartphone, tablet, or Echo to control lights, stereos, the television, and more.
To use the Echo and Harmony Hub as a hands-free remote users must link the two devices together. The simplest way to pair the two devices is through the use of IFTTT, a free web-based service that allows users to create chains of simple conditional statements, called “recipes”, which are triggered based on changes to other web services or smart home devices.
Once all of these compenents are linked together, users can control devices, such as a television, with their voice.
Here is a quick video demonstrating the two devices and IFTTT working together.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uf7myz7tq2w
How to set-up Amazon Echo, Harmony Hub, and IFTTT:
1. Accounts to create
- Amazon account
On a computer create an Amazon account: https://www.amazon.com/register - Echo app account
On an iPad, iPhone, or tablet download the Echo app: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/amazon-alexa/id944011620?mt=8
Login to the Echo app using your Amazon account username and password - Harmony app account
On an iPad, iPhone, or tablet download the Harmony app: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/harmony-control/id626853860?mt=8 - IFTTT account
On a computer create an IFTTT account: https://ifttt.com/join
2. Link Echo and Harmony to the Internet
- Echo
https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=201601770 - Harmony
Scroll down to, “Downloading the Harmony app and Wi‑Fi setup”: https://support.myharmony.com/en-us/hub
3. Link the Harmony Hub to your Television
- Follow this link and scroll down to, “Adding Devices, Activities and Home Control”: https://support.myharmony.com/en-us/hub?utm_source=logitech.com&utm_medium=global%20support%20link&utm_campaign=getting%20started%20-%20home%20hub
4. Link the Harmony to IFTTT
- Follow this link: https://support.myharmony.com/en-us/harmony-experience-with-ifttt
5. Link Echo to IFTTT
- Follow this link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=201790640
6. In the Harmony app, create a Smart TV activity
- Link to source: https://support.myharmony.com/en-us/how-to-create-a-smart-tv-activity#watchtvfrommobile
7. On IFTTT create a recipe between the Echo and Harmony to control the television
Check out this detailed video tutorial for more information.