Request/suggestion additional information resource in app

[Quasi-Pseudonym]

@AqaraOfficial, @AqaraBot

I took part in the Automation 2.0 testing trail before it was released. During that time, I made a few suggestions about the need for additional resources that provided app users with instructions on how to use/do things within the app and explanations that further defined services.

Since that time, I’ve seen Aqara’s app dev team adding all kinds of resources and tips within the app that help explain how everything works. I know from my own personal experience that for someone who’s new to smart home management. Many of the concepts that you must familiarize yourself with during that beginners learning curve phase. Only having trial by error as a learning tool to rely on makes the experience much more difficult. Now though, since Aqara’s app dev team has added in all the extra information resources. So many areas I found difficult to understand now have easy to find straightforward answers. That said, I want to say thank you Aqara app dev team for listening to your apps users and providing us with helpful resources. To see requests/suggestions from users being listened to by app devs and then implemented in following updates is a rare thing indeed. At least from my experience.

Now with that part out of the way, I want to talk about something I’ve been thinking about for a while now. Which is essentially something that can provide users with information on how to use device specific automations. While also providing lists of all or at least commonly used automation combinations between devices. I think creating a glossary wouldn’t be efficient enough. That got me thinking. Would it be possible to build a automation calculator of sorts. Something like a page that has three sections that are filled in by picking a device for each from a list of Aqara’s devices.
First you to pick an Aqara device from a list that fills in the Trigger (When) section.
Then you pick an Aqara device from a list that fills in the Action (Then) section.
You could make including picking an Aqara device from a list that would fill in the Condition (And) section optional.
Once at least the Trigger (When) and Action (Then) sections are filled in with the selected devices and leaving the Condition (And) section optional to leave empty or filled in. Tapping calculate automations would provide a list of most commonly used automation possibilities for the combination of the devices in each of the sections. Short explanations could be included as well to help people understand there practical use cases.
Given the capabilities of AI today. Someone with the skills could create something like this fairly easily and run plugging in the API from any of the best AI available today. It could also be included as part of the HomeGuardian subscription as a additional incentive. Given how helpful something like that would be for new users an old alike. I see it being a popular addition to Aqara’s already helpful app.

Anyway, just thought I’d share a thought as a regular user on something I would personally use if it were available.

[AqaraBot]

@Quasi-Pseudonym Thank you so much for taking the time to share your experience and thoughtful suggestions! It’s wonderful to hear that the additional resources and tips in the app have made a positive difference in your smart home journey—your feedback is exactly what helps us keep improving.

We truly appreciate your idea for an “automation calculator” tool. It sounds like a fantastic way to simplify device-specific automation combinations and support both new and experienced users. To ensure your suggestion is properly shared with the team, we recommend submitting it through the Aqara Home App Customer Service Team (Profile > Help & Feedback > Customer Service) or scan the QR code:

This will be more efficient. If you do not have an Aqara Home account, please click here to create a ticket.

Thanks again for being such an engaged member of the Aqara community—we love seeing users like you contribute to making our products better!

[gafich10]

Hi, thanks for suggesting this tool.
In my opinion, it will be a rather complicated and unpredictable tool to use. When a novice user consciously writes automation, he learns from his mistakes. If AI creates a non-working automation, the novice user will simply get into a “corkscrew”.
This tool (suggested by you) may be useful to an advanced user who understands the essence of automation .

[Quasi-Pseudonym]

I didn’t understand what you meant by “corkscrew” at first. So I ask Google Gemini what it meant in the context of smart home automation. It said “in (smart home) programming logic a “corkscrew” refers to a recursive loop or a “race condition” that spins out of control.” I’m going to guess what I think you mean.

Without first understanding the fundamental principles used in automation logic, a new user won’t know how to properly apply the automation that was calculated for them to match with their desired use case. Which would likely lead to new users creating flawed, pointless, unnecessary and/or incorrectly applied automations.

That makes sense now that I think about it. However, the intended purpose of tool I was proposing wouldn’t be to replace the initial learning curve required to understand fundamental smart home automation logic. But I could definitely see it being misinterpreted by a new user looking to bypass the learning curve.

The concept I had in mind would actually help a new user to understand what would work and what wouldn’t.

I imagine it working something like you do with filters on a shopping website.

Like say you wanted to learn how to control lighting using motion. A new user might want to see common examples of how their motion/ presence sensor devices work with their lighting devices. Which could be tuned for that by using general filters. An experienced user might find themselves stuck, unable to figure out a solution due to limitations imposed by previous automations they’ve set up. More specific filters could be tweaked which would essentially just the same as setting specific parameters for which AI would have to stay within in the context of the tools rules.

In other words, a new user could just set the general filter to common. Which would automatically adjust the more specific filters to a preset that would only allow it to calculate automations using the strictest rules.

On the other hand, experienced users could further define specific rules using advanced filters. However, the tool would be subject to the same rules as the Aqara apps automation creator is. Therefore, the calculator would need to work much like a virtual home would. The difference would be that rather than testing the automations in your home where the success or failure of an automation often relies on real world observations. Which it can be difficult to assess exactly what went wrong or what went right due to the limitations of the automation execution log. The tool I’m proposing would include a line by line execution log. That way users could see where their idea’s went wrong by identifying what went wrong where along the execution path.

To be completely honest, I’m only looking at this from the intermediate level perspective. I’m sure my ideas come off as being very idealistic and not fully thought through. I recognize that I don’t possess the knowledge and understanding that is required to full comprehend the complexities involved with what I’m proposing. Perhaps it’s not realistic or even feasible. If so, I still concider it to be theoretically interesting at the very least.

Who knows, maybe one day someone, somewhere at some point in the future could make my idea into a reality.
Or not. Lol!