About:

This uses an IFTTT applet that uses Alexa as a Trigger and GraspIO as the Action.
You can use the voice command “Alexa, run fish feeder “ with your Alexa, to run a fish-feeder project on Cloudio.
alexa.png

What you’ll need:

  • Cloudio & Raspberry Pi setup
  • A Servo motor for the fish-feeder setup
  • Amazon Alexa

Accounts/ software/applications

  • GraspIO Studio mobile app
  • An IFTTT account
  • Amazon Alexa account on IFTTT
  • GraspIO account on IFTTT

Hardware and setup:

To design a fish-feeder setup, you can use the below image for reference.

(Note: For this design, rotating the Servo motor by 127 degrees opens the fish-feeder, and reverting to the 0 degree position closes the fish-feeder)

Connect the Servo motor controlling the fish-feeder to Cloudio's port A1 as shown.
servo-hardware.png

How this works:

This project uses an IFTTT applet to combine the functionalities of Alexa and GraspIO Cloudio.
IFTTT Trigger – the phrase “Alexa, trigger fish feeder”
IFTTT Action – Cloudio runs the Fish Feeder project

The 3 main steps here are -

Step 1: Creating (and saving) the Fish Feeder project
This project uses the Servo motor connected to Cloudio’s port A1 to open and close the fish-feeder.
It runs on Cloudio whenever the IFTTT applet you create in this project runs.

Step 2: Configuring Cloudio to run as an IFTTT Action
This involves uploading an IFTTT (Action) project to your board.

Step 3: Creating and deploying an IFTTT applet
This step creates an IFTTT applet that uses

  • Amazon Alexa (configured according to respond to a phrase of your choice) as the Trigger
  • GraspIO Cloudio (configured to run a saved project) as the Action

How-to Video:

Steps:

Step 1: Creating the 'fish feeder' project

  • Set the initial angle for the servo motor. This corresponds to the ‘closed’ position.
  • To open the fish-feeder, rotate the Servo motor by the desired angle (127 degrees for this design)
    Use a Delay block to keep this fish-feeder open before you use another Servo block to rotate the Servo motor to its initial position.
    You can optionally use an OLED block after the feeding action is completed.
    alexa_st_1.png
    Save this project so that you can use it in your IFTTT applet.
    ff.png

Note: Refresh the app so that this project is synced with your account and available for use on IFTTT

Step 2: Configuring Cloudio to work as an IFTTT Action

For this, create a project with an IFTTT block set to Action mode.
alexa_st_2.png
Upload this project to Cloudio.
Your Cloudio is now ready to run the Fish Feeder project when invoked by the applet you create in the next step.

Step 3: Creating the Alexa-GraspIO applet on IFTTT

On IFTTT, create a new applet.
alexa_st_3.1.png

For the 'this' (Trigger), section, select Amazon Alexa.

alexa_st_3.2.png

Select the trigger type from the list - here, 'Say a specific phrase'.
alexa_st_3.3.png

Set the trigger phrase
alexa_st_3.4.png

For the 'that' section, select GraspIO.

alexa_st_3.5.png

Now, select the 'Run a project' action so you can select the Fish Feeder project to run as the Action section of the applet.
alexa_st_3.6.png

Select the board and the project to run on it.
(If you don't see the project here, make sure to sync your project from your GraspIO Studio account)
alexa_st_3.7.png

Your applet is now ready. Press Finish to run this applet.
alexa_st_3.8.png

Running the project:

To use this project, say "Alexa trigger fish feeder" to your Alexa.
This will open and close the fish-feeder as designed in the Fish Feeder project.