Technology evolves rapidly to respond in the best possible way to people’s needs, to simplify or automate their activities and to provide them with valid support in solving the problems they face on a daily basis. Alexaan intelligent voice assistant launched on the market by Amazon is that it has become part of the lives of many families around the worldis one of the most popular technologies of the moment.
Alexathrough the use of compatible and smart devices, is able to make the home intelligent and accessible to everyone, even those who have greater fragility and difficulties. It is a tool that can be put at the service of inclusiveness and who, being able to understand human language, provide coherent answers, can guarantee positive interactions with all the inhabitants of the house and beyond.
Alexa can simplify the tasks of people with disabilities, learning disabilities and be a valid support for those suffering from autism. Providing very practical features and a wide range of information, it proves to be an indispensable companion that you can rely on.
Alexa, how it works and how to use the smart voice assistant
Amazon’s Alexa is an intelligent voice assistant compatible with many devices and which can be controlled and set through a simple and intuitive application. It finds maximum expression of its potential when used in combination with smart speakers, speaker devices that are capable of interact with users and respond to their requests and questions. The smart speakers to have are Amazon’s Echos, which have integrated the Alexa system.
To use Alexa you need to have a sufficiently stable and fast Internet connection. The system works via voice activation: you need to pronounce a specific word, in most cases ‘Alexa’, to start the voice assistant and start the interaction.
The Alexa wake word can be changed by the user via the application. You can choose whether to interact with a female or male voice
Alexa answers all types of questions. It can list the latest news, delve into it, provide a recipe, give information on the weather, the stock market, the economy, make calls, play music, control household appliances and smart devices in the home, such as coffee machines, light bulbs, sockets and much more even more.
The voice assistant features are possible customize according to your needs, using skills which can be downloaded in a few seconds and which are produced by organisations, companies, developers or third-party users.
Alexa, the features to support those suffering from autism: reminders
Autism is a lifelong condition and which can be addressed by increasing the person’s independence and autonomy. This challenge can be addressed through the use of useful supports, among which some Alexa functions stand out.
Among the most appreciated, although often underestimated, is the one that allows you to create reminders. Thus, people with autism can be reminded to carry out some essential activities, but which they tend to forget.
Yes you can, for example, ask Alexa to remind a family member to drink water every hour, to brush their teeth before going to sleep, to do homework assigned by teachers at school or to bring to mind other events. The reminders are communicated by the device to which the request was made and can be set via voice command or using the mobile application.
Alexa can help people remember things they consider important, like appointments, or everyday actions they tend to forget, like watering the plants
Reminders are easily manageable and customizable. They can be deleted or modified at any time. It is allowed to create reminders, which continue to send notifications every hour or every day until it is confirmed that the task has been carried out.
Alexa and autism, other important features and skills
Alexa increases the autonomy of the most fragile people because it allows simple management of household chores through quick voice commands. In the presence of smart devices, such as smart light bulbs, smart cameras, smart vacuum cleaners, smart sockets, smart thermostats and much more, you can request assistance to perform various actions.
You can, for example, ask him to make the house warmer or cooler, to start cleaning with a vacuum cleanerto turn the lights in a room off or on, or to deactivate some devices.
Alexa can guide you during the preparation of dishes and dishes, indicating the actions to be performed, even for the simplest recipes. You can set timers, make shopping lists or, in moments of greater stress, ask the assistant to play relaxing music that helps calm tensions.
To know more: Alexa at the service of vulnerable people