Amazon Echo Connection to Lutron - How to

[jnapier]

There have been a few threads complaining that Lutron needs to get their act together.

Well, I just set up through IFTTT. Yes Lutron needs to upgrade their bridge and get a decent app together. Those who go proprietary will go through the wayside.

Anyway.
It's Lutron -> Smart Bridge -> IFTTT -> Amazon Echo.

Set up the Echo
Create an account on IFTTT
Link IFTTT to your Echo

Set up Lutron
Connect to Smart Bridge
Connect Smart Bridge to IFTTT

Configure through IFTTT
It's a little clunky but it works

Or Lutron could spend a day configuring their products with IFTTT and have a complete solution. OK maybe a week.
Common Lutron, it's not that hard and you dont need to change your hardware!

[joshg]

This is somewhat encouraging. Can you say more now about how you control your lights? I have an echo, and it works great through SmartThings... "Alexa, outside lights on!".
When you do it through Lutron Smart Bridge, what exactly do you say, and how did Echo get your zone names?

Oh, and does this mean you have the Smart Bridge talking to Radio Ra 2?? Or is it to Caseta devices?
thanks!

[Zitomd]

Forget IFTTT we need Echo to spend a week to write code to talk to Lutron's bridge via their API. Most likely it won't happen as Lutron got into Bed with Apple and Homekit.

[wkearney99]

First thing to know is that the Echo is cloud-based. Anything initiated from the Echo device MUST go to the Amazon web services engine. From there AWS has to be able to connect with whatever you're trying to control. That means there needs to be something 'listening' such that an Internet-connected service like AWS can reach. As in, whatever you have inside the house has got to provide some sort of publicly accessible interface. This is non-trivial, especially where security is concerned. Amazon has an approval process for this sort of thing, as they don't want their AWS cloud pointlessly banging away at misconfigured services.

There appear to be some '1st tier' features that might possibly be using local communication, but I've not seen that documented anywhere. Gaining that tier of functionality is DEFINITELY not something Amazon is allowing without considerable discussions & negotiations with developers.

So while we'd all love to have Echo-Lutron connectivity, I doubt either Amazon or Lutron are interested in it being poorly implemented. While progress hasn't been made on this front, is indeed annoying. It's like there some kind of struggle going on within Lutron that's leaving them tone-deaf to the market RACING PAST THEM.

[totalcontrol]

First thing to know is that the Echo is cloud-based. Anything initiated from the Echo device MUST go to the Amazon web services engine. From there AWS has to be able to connect with whatever you're trying to control. That means there needs to be something 'listening' such that an Internet-connected service like AWS can reach. As in, whatever you have inside the house has got to provide some sort of publicly accessible interface. This is non-trivial, especially where security is concerned. Amazon has an approval process for this sort of thing, as they don't want their AWS cloud pointlessly banging away at misconfigured services.

There appear to be some '1st tier' features that might possibly be using local communication, but I've not seen that documented anywhere. Gaining that tier of functionality is DEFINITELY not something Amazon is allowing without considerable discussions & negotiations with developers.

So while we'd all love to have Echo-Lutron connectivity, I doubt either Amazon or Lutron are interested in it being poorly implemented. While progress hasn't been made on this front, is indeed annoying. It's like there some kind of struggle going on within Lutron that's leaving them tone-deaf to the market RACING PAST THEM.

That is all a shame, because these powerful companies are the only way voice recognition and artificial intelligence will go mainstream. Imagine how much easier the world would be for the blind, handicapped, and seniors if they could use a voice recognition system to perform everyday tasks. I hope that companies are open to the ideas of working together on solutions and advancements.

[Zitomd]

Amazon Echo and Lutron work without IFTTT. Enable the skill and connect Echo to Lutron. Really cool to ask Alexa to dim the living room lights. Just need to have Alexa get access to the scenes set in the Lutron app.

[totalcontrol]

Amazon Echo and Lutron work without IFTTT. Enable the skill and connect Echo to Lutron. Really cool to ask Alexa to dim the living room lights. Just need to have Alexa get access to the scenes set in the Lutron app.

When you say "Lutron" do you mean Caseta or RadioRa2?

[Zitomd]

Caseta which is a more economical option for the mainstream population.

[totalcontrol]

Caseta which is a more economical option for the mainstream population.

Economical, but not the same thing. I wish there were a channel for Ra2.

[Zitomd]

100% agree that RadioRA2 is a complete step up but if you are trying to get home automation into the mainstream, you need it at a price point your average consumer would be willing to spend. I had a legacy RA system and for the price point I could not justify the cost to upgrade the system. For my budget to get what I wanted, Caseta fit the bill.