Grampa Wisdom

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  Here's Grampa!

Inspiration

At the age of 73, I find myself smack dab in the middle of the target demographic of this hackathon. Plus, I’ve been accused of cracking a joke now and then, some of which get a laugh, though I think some are laughs to humor me. So, I thought that it might be fun to hear the thoughts of an older individual as they consider some of the sayings they grew up with and developments they’ve seen. That’s why I created Grampa Wisdom.

What it does

It’s quite simple to use. After you open it, just say, “Grampa, tell me some wisdom,” and he will randomly tell you 3 pearls of wisdom. For instance, you may hear, “Hair today, bald tomorrow!” or “It’s always darkest before the dawn, or before you turn on the lights!” Some are real knee slappers! Or, not so much!

How I built it

I used JavaScript, Amazon Alexa with APL support for devices with displays, and some SSML prosody tags to create Grampa’s voice.

Challenges I ran into

Making Grampa’s voice distinctive and reflective of his age.

Accomplishments that I’m proud of

Applying those prosody tags and having the opportunity to build this Skill at my age.

What I learned

SSML & more about the Alexa Presentation Language.

What's next for Grampa Wisdom

I plan to add more words of wisdom, but I also want to figure out how to add some sound effects like a rim shot after his punchline.

Built With

• amazon-alexa
• apl
• javascript