How to trigger Alexa Routine from Hubitat

[bf1]

How do we vote for a voting system? Sorry.

[jd1]

What if you have a Wifi device connected in Alexa and you would like to communicate with it from Hubitat ? How would you integrate the devices in Alexa into the Hubitat ?

[anon61068208]

@ogiewon

Currently, there is no simple way to do this. Numerous community members have asked the Hubitat team to add this ability to the Hubitat Alexa Skill (via contact and motion sensors.) The last response we received was that this was not high on their priority list.

Sadly HE is no longer community driven much anymore.... It quickly turned into SmartThings and do what they want you to have not the other way around.

However this wouldn't stop anyone from creating a better version of the Alexa App that does work as intended for routines.

[mik3]

Damn. I was hoping to have the ability for a routine to kick off based off a virtual switch being on or off.

[jeubanks]

@mik3

Damn. I was hoping to have the ability for a routine to kick off based off a virtual switch being on or off.

I'm thinking it's a matter of time before they add that. But I'm also sure there are other higher priorities on their list. Only a few systems actually have this today and others are adding it.

[SmartHomePrimer]

Another option is to trigger SmartThings since it is supported to trigger Alexa routines. You can trigger SmartThings from Hubitat one of two ways that I'm aware of.

1. Use Other Hub 2 to turn on a virtual motion sensor
2. You can have Google tell SmartThings to turn on a virtual motion sensor with Google Assistant Relay.

Both work and take about the same amount of time, which is roughly 3 seconds to run the routine. This is how I do TTS on my Echos, but I use Google Assistant Relay. It's a really nice tool to have, since you can also trigger anything that Google Assistant supports, but HE doesn't.

No SmartThings hub required. Mine is long gone. You don't even need to have ever owned one. ST cloud accounts are free and you can trigger drivers you need in their cloud. For a service that's always going offline, this part is pretty solid. Not that it doesn't disappear sometimes. It does, but it's up a lot more that my hub ever was.

Alexa TTS via Google Assistant to SmartThings

Special thanks to @mike.maxwell and @keithcroshaw for inspiring this work, and to @ogiewon, @ghesp Greg Hesp and @cwwilson08 for the code necessary to make this possible. Just an important note if you have not had your morning coffee. This is about Alexa TTS, and yes it does use Google Assistant, strange as that seems, but that's primarily a way to activate a SmartThings DTH, and that will then be detected by Alexa to trigger a routine and speak a custom phrase you enter into the Alexa app. …

[jdagreek]

I want Alexa to announce whom is home when Lock pin code is used. I have installed Echo Speaks but it's too slow DIY Smarthome guy is saying to make a virtual lock for each pin then it will work and work fast. But I don't know what tools to use? Anyone?

[chavezluisplus]

I solved it. First creat a Virtual Look.
Then in Hubitat serc for echo Skill
In alexa app Discover divices
Then use the virtual lock as triger for a rutine

[mik3]

You could also use echo speaks and directly control it.

[ogiewon]

@chavezluisplus

I solved it. First creat a Virtual Look.
Then in Hubitat serc for echo Skill
In alexa app Discover divices
Then use the virtual lock as triger for a rutine

Most of us find it easy to use a Virtual Motion Sensor or a Virtual Contact Sensor as a trigger for an Alexa Routine.

Good to know that a Virtual Lock works as well.

[srstudiostech]

this is the only thing that I've found so far, I am looking to do the same thing. I am using a Zooz power cable for a sump pump that monitors power output and input for my washing machine so that Alexa will notify me that the wash is done. So I have installed webCore through HE and now just going through the motions I will post the link that I found. If you come to a solution please share

How I Make Alexa Speak via WebHook (from any IFTTT Service)

[napalmcsr]

use a virtual contact in Hubitat, Amazon echo can trigger routines off of contact sensors.

[ogiewon]

@srstudiostech

this is the only thing that I've found so far, I am looking to do the same thing.

Just create a Virtual Contact Sensor in Hubitat, expose it to Alexa, and then use it as a trigger for an Alexa Routine that speaks any text you define in the Alexa Routine. Have Rule Machine set the status of the contact sensor to 'open' for a few seconds, and then back to 'closed' when a laundry cycle is done.

No need for webCoRE or IFTTT.

[srstudiostech]

so I wasn't able to create a virtual contact sensor, however I was able to hunt down a virtual motion sensor that identifies to Alexa and works as an on/off switch and it works seamlessly, thanks for the help guys!!

[tray_e]

Just to revive the question..... I have created a virtual switch, a virtual contact, a virtual lock, AND a virtual motion sensor in Hubitat and shared them with Alexa. However, whenever I try to use them as a tigger in Alexa, I get the error, "This Device is Currrently Not Supported"

All I want is to use it as a trigger in a routine. Is that just not possible from HE?

[aaiyar]

@tray_e

virtual switch, a virtual contact, a virtual lock, AND a virtual motion sensor in Hubitat and shared them with Alexa
.........
I get the error, "This Device is Currrently Not Supported"

The virtual contact and virtual motion sensor should definitely work as triggers for Alexa routines (I've used them). The lock should work, but I've never tested it. The virtual switch will not work.

[tray_e]

Finally got it. Apparently took it more than 20 minutes to sync up as the right device type.

Not really familiar with Alexa. Just using it for 2 routines as that is the only way to get the Bose Portable Smart speaker to directly play music from a specific source without opening the bose music app on my phone

[luis]

So, I have been able to create a virtual contact sensor to trigger an Alexa routine to turn on and off a Feit Wifi Light bulb. In the Device, if I Open or Close it, the light goes off and on.

The thing i cant figure out how to do is to put a button on dashboard that does activates the virtual device. If i use the contact sensor template, the button reflects the sate of the virtual device but does not let you change it. If I try to use a different template, I haven’t been able to get it to work.

Any ideas?

Many thanks in advance.

[ogiewon]

@luis

The thing i cant figure out how to do is to put a button on dashboard that does activates the virtual device. If i use the contact sensor template, the button reflects the sate of the virtual device but does not let you change it. If I try to use a different template, I haven’t been able to get it to work.

Any ideas?

The easiest way I know is to change the Driver Type for the Virtual Contact Sensor to one like the following. This driver implements both the Contact Sensor and Switch Capabilities, which will make it much simpler from the Hubitat side to treat is just like a "Switch" device, while Alexa will see it as both a Contact Sensor (for triggering Alexa Routines) and as a switch.

ogiewon/Hubitat/blob/master/Drivers/virtual-contact-switch.src/virtual-contact-switch.groovy

[luis]

Worked like a charm! Thank you for the very quick response.

Great work and one more reason Hubitat is great.

Thanks again,
Luis