1. AMAZON ALEXA
our successes and fails
15 Sep 2017
DevBDay

2. Viachaslau Lialkin
EPAM Systems
vlialkin
2

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Introduction to
Amazon Alexa

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Amazon Alexa is the cloud-based "brain" behind
Amazon voice assistant devices.

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Music & Entertainment
News & Information
Calling & Messaging
Help Around the House
Shopping experience
Custom Skills
Assists with

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// Information & Help

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// Music

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// Smart home

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There is also store for Alexa Skills …

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Echo Dot
$49.99
Amazon Echo
$179.99
Echo Show
$229.99
// Devices

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Amazon Alexa engine
Amazon Echo
Amazon Echo Dot devices
Amazon Echo Show

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How phrases
are built?

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Alexa, ask Uber to request a ride

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Keyword
First word in every request
Required to wake up the device
Alexa, ask Uber to request a ride

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Skill invocation name
Defined by Skill developer
Phrase is sent to the concrete Skill
Alexa, ask Uber to request a ride

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Intent from the Uber Skill
Should be defined by Skill developer
Multiple utterances of single action are possible
Alexa, ask Uber to request a ride

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Alexa, set timer for 20 minutes
No skill invocation name, because
it is built-it Alexa functionality

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// How to create Skill
- Set Invocation Name (string)
- Build Interaction Model (json)
- Implement Speechlet interface
void onSessionStarted(SessionStartedRequest, Session)
void onSessionEnded(SessionEndedRequest, Session)
SpeechletResponse onLaunch(LaunchRequest, Session)
SpeechletResponse onIntent(IntentRequest, Session)

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// How to test
- Use devices (thanks, Captain!)
- Use text emulator
- Use voice emulator

22. Story #1: Alexa Office 

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Alexa, ask Office where is Viachaslau Lialkin

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Alexa, ask Office where is Viachaslau Lialkin
Viachaslau Lialkin is on the meeting till 17:00
Viachaslau Lialkin is on vacation till September 22
Unfortunately Viachaslau Lialkin is on sick leave today

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// How does it work
HTTPS
Web-app
(Java)
Telescope API
MS Exchange API
Amazon Developer web-interface
"office" EmployeeAvailabilityIntent
- "where is {EmployeeName} now",
- "is {EmployeeName} free now",
- "is {EmployeeName} available now",
- "is {EmployeeName} busy now",
- "to find {EmployeeName}"
Heroku
Endpoint
Type
(our URL)
Skill
Name
External APIs
Invocation
Name
("office")

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// What did we do well
- Integration w/ external systems
- Synonyms in Interaction Model (voice-to-text)
- Synonyms in web-app (text-to-identifier)
- Transcription of names in web-app (text-to-voice)
OK
OK
OK
OK

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- Bad recognition and pronunciation of
names (voice-to-text and text-to-voice)
- Not convenient to ask Alexa and better to
check manually
ERR
ERR
// Known problems

28. Story #2: Alexa Question 

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Alexa, ask Question

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Java Core - Could you please describe, what is
happening during adding element into LinkedList?
Spring - What is DispatcherServlet?
Alexa, ask Question
Design Patterns - Could you please compare
patterns Facade and Adapter?

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// How does it work
%
Amazon Developer web-interface
"question" QuestionIntent
- "question",
- "please",
- "next",
- "repeat",
- "from {tag}",
- "about {tag}"
TXT-file
with 60+
questions
Skill
Name
Invocation
Name
("question")

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