Hey everyone, I wanted to share a really cool project I’ve been working on that combines Google Assistant with Home Assistant to control my Vestaboard. It’s been a fantastic journey, and I’m thrilled with how it turned out!
First, a little background: I’ve recently integrated @dev0’s Vestaboard custom integration, which is basically a network-connected split-flap display that hangs on my wall. I’ve always loved the idea of being able to control it with voice commands, and now I’ve finally made it happen!
The goal was to create a system where I could say something like, “Hey Google, tell HomeAssistant to display ‘Hello!’” and have it show up on my Vestaboard. After some research and experimentation, I found that I could achieve this by setting up a custom automation in Home Assistant that listens for specific spoken commands from Google Assistant.
Here’s how I did it:
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Setting Up Google Assistant Integration: I started by ensuring that Google Assistant was properly integrated with Home Assistant. This involved exposing the necessary devices and services within Home Assistant so that Google Assistant could interact with them.
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Creating a Custom Automation: I then created a custom automation in Home Assistant that listens for specific voice commands. For example, when I say, “Hey Google, tell HomeAssistant to display ‘Hello!’,” the automation triggers and sends the text to my Vestaboard.
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Testing and Refinement: I spent some time testing different commands and refining the automation to ensure it worked smoothly. It was amazing to see everything come together and realize that I could control my Vestaboard with just my voice!
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Sharing the Experience: I wanted to share my success with the community because I believe in the power of collaboration and learning from each other. It’s been wonderful to see the positive feedback and hear from others who might be interested in doing something similar.
This project has been a great way to combine the convenience of Google Assistant with the flexibility of Home Assistant. It’s also been a fantastic learning experience, and I’m excited to see what other cool integrations I can come up with in the future!
A huge thank you to @dev0 for creating such an awesome custom integration, and to everyone in the community who supports and shares their knowledge. It’s communities like this that make the world of smart home automation so exciting!
If anyone has questions or wants to discuss this project further, I’d be happy to help. Let’s keep the creativity flowing!