Author: Santiago Ricoy Email: ricoys1@unlv.nevada.edu
Date: Last modified on 12/28/16
Keywords: alexa skill tutorial voice audio playback alexa sdk

By the end of this tutorial, you'll have a working Alexa Skill that can be run by

This picture shows part of the Amazon Developer console, which allows you to use many items offered by Amazon to developers; in this case, testing the voice-controlled side of an Alexa skill. We need to understand how to stream files through our Alexa-enabled device. Solving this some degree is important because it demonstrates the ability to fetch files from the web with the Alexa Voice Service (AVS), which implies it can be used to manipulate and control other items in the cloud, and connected devices. This tutorial shows you how to set up a lambda function that talks to the voice-operated end of an Alexa skill. It takes approximately 40 minutes to complete.

This tutorial's motivation is to spark innovation in attendees of the IEEE Winter School. The tutorial assumes the reader has the following background and interests:

* Can sign up and learn to use basic AWS services
* Can navigate Object Oriented code
* Additional background needed may include prior exposure to javascript and node.js
* This tutorial may also attract readers who are interested in voice recognition

The rest of this tutorial is presented as follows:

• Required Items
• Construction
• Programming
• Final Words

To complete this tutorial, you'll need the following items:

• The files within this zip file Coming soon
• Computer with Internet access
• Wireless internet access (if using an Amazon device)
• Node.js runtime installed (get it here)
• Text editor (https://atom.io/ was used for this, but others will work)
• Optionally: An Alexa-enabled device

NOTE: The Echo Dot is what was used for the creation of this tutorial (the most convenient option, if not also the least expensive). Using a physical device is optional, because skills can be tested without a physical device. However, since the testing environment gives no audio output, we would not be able to hear that music is actually being streamed, without a device.

The Alexa voice service (AVS), by Amazon, has a developer package called the Alexa SKills Kit (ASK) that allows users to create new skills for Alexa-enabled devices. All Alexa-enabled devices can perform functions with these skills. The voice-recognition software is taken care of when using this, leaving the developer to focus on designing the actual given commands.

Most Alexa skills are made up of a skill created with the Alexa Skills Kit in the AWS Developer Console and an AWS Lambda function that the skill sends its requests to.

Here we'll initiate the two parts and then set up our skill:

Step 1:

Sign into Amazon Developer Console:

If you do not already have one, create an Amazon Developer Account and sign in to the Amazon Developer Console.

Step 2:

Sign into AWS Management console:

In a separate tab if you do not already have one, create an AWS Account and sign into the AWS Management Console.

Step 3:

Creating an IAM role:

From the AWS Management Console, under the “Security, Identity, and Compliance” category, click “IAM”. Go to “Roles” and create a new role. Name the role whatever you like; the name doesn't matter. Go to the next page.

This role will be given to a Lambda function, so we will select that option. Click through to the next page.

Select “CloudWatchlogsfullaccess” and “DynamoDBFullAccess”. Click to the next page.

Review and create your role.

Step 4:

Creating a Lambda function:

In the upper left of the window, click “Services”, and under “Compute” select “Lambda”. You should get some sort of introduction page if you're new. Click through to get started and “Create a Lambda Function”.

Now we are prompted to select a blueprint. Click “Configure Triggers” on the left.

Select the Alexa Skills Kit as your trigger. Move onto the next page.

Here you'll be prompted to give a name, description, and runtime. The first two are for your reference. For this demo we'll use Node.js 4.3.

Scroll down to “Lambda function handler and role”. We will use an existing role, and choose the name of the IAM role we created in the previous step.

We will review our program now

From the Amazon Developer Console dashboard, click on the “Alexa” tab and then “Get Started” with the Alexa Skills Kit.

Click “Add a new skill”. This will put you into the sequence for configuring your Alexa skill. We will be creating a “custom skill”, so please select that option.

The first section of the Alexa Skill, “Skill Information”, shows you the skill's application ID, and allows you to change the skills name, as well as the invocation name.

The skill's name is for your reference and is what shows up in the Alexa app should your skill be published. The invocation name is what will be said aloud to initiate the skill with an Alexa-enabled device. There is a link next to these options that can teach you more about invocation phrases.

Please select the “yes” radio button that confirms that our skill will use audio directives, since we will be playing music. Then click “Next”.

Step 4:

This page allows us to create our interaction model. The top text box allows us to define what intents we would like to use in an intent schema. Intents are requests that can be triggered by verbal commands. A few of our intents are required by the Alexa skills kit because we will be streaming music. Intents are specified in JSON format.

Please extract the zip archive that can be downloaded in the “Required Items” section. In the extracted folder, inside the “speechAssets” folder, there is a file named “IntentSchema”. Copy and paste its contents into the intent schema text entry field. More information can be found on intents with the provided links next to the text box.

Also in the “speechAssets” folder is a file named “Utterances.txt”. Please copy and paste its contents into the “Sample Utterances” text entry field. The first portion of each line (here it is “PlayAudio”) is the intent that is invoked by the sample phrase written after it.

Click “Next” to save and move to the next page.

Step 5:

The Global Fields page is where we set up where our requests will be sent.

For questions, clarifications, etc, Email: ricoys1@unlv.nevada.edu