Translated from 日本語 • View original Writing from Texas, USA
Hello, this is Aimi Nakajima.
I have been on a long-term business trip for about one month since around GW, near Dallas, Texas, USA.
It's over 35°C every day, and it's very hot every day!
The United States is the most advanced market for smart speakers and voice AI assistants.
In between my work, I am conducting research, and Amazon Experience Centers, a housing exhibition hall where you can experience smart homes using Alexa I caught the news that it had started and went there on the weekend.
Alexa Smart Home Experience Report
This is Amazon Experience Center. It took about 15 minutes by car from where I lived. It has a brick-like exterior, and there are many single-family houses of this color and taste in the Dallas area.
Let's dive inside!
Amazon Echo devices are placed everywhere in your home, and you can experience how to use it according to the occasion.
Bedroom
The bedroom has an Amaxon Echo Spot with a screen.
For example, "Alexa, good morning." There is a routine set by the voice, and it is thoughtful, such as continuously telling you the weather and traffic information.
From the bedroom, you can also see the children's room and garden on the second floor with a remote camera.
It seems to be monitored by children, but it can be used as a monitoring camera.
When I entered the children's room, I found an Amazon Cloud Cam filmed live in the video above. It's a Wifi-powered, palm-sized surveillance camera that costs $119.99.
Kitchen
In the kitchen, I searched for recipes on the Amazon Echo Show with a screen.
Hands-free is well thought out, and "Alexa, scroll right. (アレクサ、右スクロールして) You can flip through the recipes without touching the screen.
Your smartphone screen can become sticky while cooking. Of course, you can also turn the kitchen timer and TV on and off, so it will be a strong ally for cooking lovers.
Kitchen Storage
When I opened the door next to the kitchen, there were many Amazon dash buttons!
It's very nice to be able to order daily necessities before they run out.
Living
What I thought was the most amazing was the usage scene in the living room.
Watch the video.
『Alexa, start party time. (Alexa, start the party)", and the fun music begins, and the lights and blinds darken it, making it feel like a home party at once!
In addition, "Alexa, movie time." Saying that, the lights will dim here, the blinds will go down, and the TV will show the top screen of your Amazon Fire TV.
The Japanese Fire TV Stick does not support Alexa, so I hope you can do this soon!
There's more, IoT
A smart home that was linked to peripheral devices, such as a thermostat (automatic temperature control machine), garden sprinklers, and linkage with the cleaning robot Roomba, was reproduced.
Thoughts & Summary
My first smart home experience, I had so much fun that I stayed for more than an hour.
I had heard that in the United States, one smart speaker per room is becoming the norm instead of one per household, and I understood the intention well.
The Echo Show and Echo Spot with a screen are not available in Japan at this time, but I feel that the ability and comfort of a smart speaker will expand a lot, as in the example of the recipe search.
Since I made it possible to control the lighting with Alexa in my home, I have increasingly wanted to use IoT for the home appliances around me.
This exhibition was the default usage scenario of Alexa, but by using Alexa skills, you can do more and use more services. Personally, I think that if we can experience that together, it will be a better exhibition hall.
Even so, I would like to live in such a large house someday in my life! There were about 5 washrooms alone.
There are a total of 15 Amazon Experience Centers in Texas and California, so if you go to the United States, we recommend you to try it out!
