Inspiration
I bought my Alexa device around 2 years ago. I started using the device and found that you get used to Alexa quite fast. I could listen to music, get the news update and many other information. I started waiting to see what Alexa comes up with next.
During this time I was thinking about developing skills for Alexa to make it more interactive, and I started developing skills to make Alexa smarter. I wanted to make Alexa host a talk show or a game or an organizer for a family event. Most people have a hard time organizing a game with your family and friends, or guide the guests/ visitors with the required information.
I developed "Lucky spin" with this inspiration in mind. I wanted to first develop a game skill which people will love playing with. Alexa will create fun moments for your family and friends.
What it does
This game creates fun moments when you are alone, or with your friends and family. You can spin the wheel like in a Casino game by calling "Alexa spin". You will score random numbers between One and Six. You will be asked some questions based on the Number you scored. You are lucky if you score a Six. You need to get a 100 to win the game. There is a Leader Board to record the scores. You can pause the game and play later as well. It also improves your general knowledge, analytical skills and your memory.
How I built it
I built it using the Muti-model method to make it more interactive. I have used APL to develop this. I have used Echo show, Echo spot, Fire tv, and other Alexa devices effectively to make this game more enjoyable for all age groups. Used all possible existing audio libraries from AWS and AWS services .
Challenges I ran into
Multi-model development environment was quite challenging at the beginning. The screen sizes and the voice receptivity of the devices with the various locations are little different. There are quite differences using the simulator and original devices Save operation posed some challenges.
Accomplishments that I'm proud of
Right now I am really proud of developing a game that can be played on Echo show, Spot, Firetv, and other devices like echo devices. I have been able to customize the game for each device using APL as much as possible. The only priority I had while developing this game is to deliver better user experience, better user retention, and increase average time spent with the skill.
What I learned
Muiti-model makes Alexa more powerful and entertaining. On Echo devices, a normal user does not always know how Alexa is responding or what Alexa heard. When you have a display, you can clearly see what Alexa had interpreted. This helps the user to get a bit more adjusted to using the devices more efficiently. It also serves more features and solves different problems like Hands free video calling, Voice enabled content and controls make the perfect voice based hands free internet experience.
What's next for Alexa
Voice identifier: If I Say "Alexa My Calendar" it should be able to say what my Calender looks like, and if another member of my family asks for the Calendar details , it should identify their Calendar.
Expecting more features in the APL like - More CSS properties for better rendering, features like taking the text input using the screens, better NLU.
Syncing between the devices like - When I am playing with the Echo show, later I should be able to resume using the Fire tv.
Conversation recorder: Would like to have conversation recording to identify how kids are communicating with Alexa to understand what is lacking in their communication. And using AI we can build more personalized voice based assistants.
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