ABB KNX Voice control for Siri, Alexa, and Google

When done well, voice control of a connected home can be a miracle of modern technology. 

Watch the video below of Stratus Integrated Systems commissioning an ABB VCO/S 99.1 KNX voice control module for a recent National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) project to see what we mean. This flexible ABB device works with Siri, Alexa, and Google, giving the end-user a reliable voice control interface between them and their home using the platform of their choice. 

Connected homes are improving living standards 

One of the unsung benefits of the NDIS is that it is making extraordinary technology much more widely available. It is bringing home control to everyday activities and improving the lives of many people with disabilities. 

It's great to see integrators like David from Stratus who have done their homework, do their training, and are implementing true, reliable, connected home solutions. For me, there is a vast difference between connected devices and a connected home. In Australia today there seems to be a tendency for people to treat technology like weight loss. Always looking for the latest and greatest silver bullet. You know the one, you don't have to do anything different, you don't have to train, it doesn't cost anything, no effort or thought at all, just take the pill and suddenly your two notches in on your belt and running a half marathon. Technology is no different, good marketing doesn't necessarily make it a good product, and anything that is too good to be true probably is.

About KNX

In this project, Stratus used KNX as the backbone technology. Over the last 30 years, KNX has generated a group of over 500 manufacturers including some of the biggest names in the electrical industry. Companies like ABB, Theben, Zennio, Schnieder, Hager, legrand, Somfy, and Siemens, all making KNX products that work as one system. From those 500 manufacturers, there are more than 8000 different KNX devices that can all work together to make your home connected. 

The family home is one of the biggest and greatest emotional investments most people ever make. The investment in your house is for years, often 20 years or more. You can stick your head in the sand and bring out the old mantra, " I don't need that fancy stuff, it's all just a fad", (a bit like my Dad after I asked why we didn't have a TV with remote control) or you can have a "bob each way" and run with the now and hope for the future, or, like Stratus, you can investigate modern electrical installation practices and the fantastic opportunities an open protocol solution like KNX has to offer.

Enough, check out the video. For those of my vintage, it's a little bit of the Jetsons come true.