CastleOS - new home automation software with Kinect voice control
- Thread starter ChrisCicc
- Start date
ChrisCicc
Active Member
az1324 said:
You are one tough customer
As I've stated before, we are using the Kinect speech API, we didn't invent speech recognition technology, nor has anyone else who has used it for HA or other IVR apps. Like I mentioned when people asked about using other microphones, CastleOS can only do what it does with the Kinect, so quite a bit of credit certainly rests with the Kinect team.
ChrisCicc
Active Member
As promised, here is our latest demo video. This video shows CastleOS and Kinect being used in a real-world scenario, in this case, a living room and entryway.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ksiJWthOxY0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ksiJWthOxY0
ChrisCicc
Active Member
Dan (electron) said:
I'll keep it in mind for the future, this video and three others are already shot, and we don't have another shoot planned just yet, but when we do, I'll see about adding it in. CastleOS is designed to avoid false positives, so while loud music won't accidentally trigger the system, if you don't speak loud enough over the background it won't hear you either. There has to be 20db between the spoken voice and whatever the background noise is. Here is a real world translation: it doesn't hear me if I'm playing a movie at "movie volume", but at night when others are sleeping in the house and the TV is a bit quieter, it can hear me without issue. There's some leeway in between, but my TV for all intents and purposes only has two volume settings
Playing music in the background while working as we all often do is also a scenario where CastleOS will be able to hear your voice over the background noise levels. In addition, if you are using the computer the Kinect is plugged in to as the audio source, you can enable Acoustic Echo Cancellation (in the CastleOS Kinect Service Configurator, it's disabled by default) which will cancel out the audio being played. This doesn't work in all circumstances due to limitations of the API (for instance, 5.1 channel audio playback will cause the Kinect to lose all microphone input), but it does work well with mono and stereo playback.
ChrisCicc
Active Member
az1324 said:
If you're 20db louder than the noise, it'll work
But sometimes it's just easier to pull out your phone too. Just because voice control is there, doesn't mean you have to use it every time...Also, when you think about it, hitting pause while watching a loud movie, saying "computer dim the lights by 20%" out loud, and hitting play again is a lot faster than pulling out your phone and opening an app. Even when it can't hear you above a loud movie it's still very useful.
ChrisCicc
Active Member
RichardU said:
It's only less disruptive if you've found a way to look at both your phone screen and TV at the same time
I'm very confident that picking up your phone, turning it on, opening an app, going to devices, changing a dim level, and pressing save takes significantly longer than pressing pause, saying "computer dim the lights by X%", and pressing play
Like I said earlier, there will be occasions when the phone app is the way to go, and on other occasions voice is the way to go. That's the idea behind a complete integrated system.
By the way, that sequence I listed above? In CastleOS it's pick up your phone, turn it on, open the app, press favorites, adjust dim level. We've cut a couple steps out of the process most if not all HA apps to date follow.
ChrisCicc said:It's only less disruptive if you've found a way to look at both your phone screen and TV at the same time
I'm very confident that picking up your phone, turning it on, opening an app, going to devices, changing a dim level, and pressing save takes significantly longer than pressing pause, saying "computer dim the lights by X%", and pressing play
I guess my HA interface isn't as bad as I thought. For me it's one button to turn on the phone, one button to open the app, and one button for the scene I want. I can multi-task that without stopping the show, and for everyone else in the room there is zero disruption.
By the way, my house has had 45 lighting zones for nearly five years. Since I have my scenes set with the dim levels I want, I never adjust dim levels. When I hear people talk about the ability to dim levels, it reminds me of all those home automation ads that talk about how wonderful it would be to have your bath water ready right when you get home.
ChrisCicc
Active Member
RichardU said:
So your app works identical to CastleOS
CastleOS has device and scene lists like all other apps, but we also have a unique portal page with "one stop shop" access to several of the most commonly used features, including a favorites list of user selected devices, groups, and scenes.
pete_c
Guru
Chris,
I was looking at the pricing of the Kinect devices yesterday and noticed that your software works with both the Xbox Kinect and the Kinect with the SDK licensing.
I am thinking I wouldn't mind giving your new home automation application a try.
That said though I do not have an Xbox and would have no use for an Xbox Kinect should I not like your software.
I wouldn't mind though giving it a try say if your company offered the Kinect at at a special price of $50 USD to entice me to give it a try.
I was looking at the pricing of the Kinect devices yesterday and noticed that your software works with both the Xbox Kinect and the Kinect with the SDK licensing.
I am thinking I wouldn't mind giving your new home automation application a try.
That said though I do not have an Xbox and would have no use for an Xbox Kinect should I not like your software.
I wouldn't mind though giving it a try say if your company offered the Kinect at at a special price of $50 USD to entice me to give it a try.
ChrisCicc
Active Member
pete_c said:
Unfortunately we don't sell hardware yet, and when we do, I don't expect us to ever sell the Kinect. Amazon has the Kinect for Xbox360 for sale for $98 right now, and though I don't know what their costs are for sure, it wouldn't surprise me if they paid $95. You can probably snag one for less than that used on eBay, however. Sorry I couldn't be of more help!
Edit: even if you don't use the voice interface, I think you'll be very satisfied with our app! It's certainly worth a try on its own...
pete_c
Guru
Work2Play,
Good idea! My HA parts box is overflowing with much junk lately.
Really just trying to justify a logical means of trying something new here.
Kind of done playing with HA software and new hardware unless I get something out of my time lately. (grumpy old man syndrome)
I already have UPB, X-10, Insteon and Z-Wave around the house. Over the last 30 years I have played some with VR.
It has never worked to my satisfaction.
I've shut off my automobile VR as BMW never did get it right.
I guess if MS finally "got it"; then maybe they should put a little more into their efforts promoting the Kinect device.
Good idea! My HA parts box is overflowing with much junk lately.
Really just trying to justify a logical means of trying something new here.
Kind of done playing with HA software and new hardware unless I get something out of my time lately. (grumpy old man syndrome)
I already have UPB, X-10, Insteon and Z-Wave around the house. Over the last 30 years I have played some with VR.
It has never worked to my satisfaction.
I've shut off my automobile VR as BMW never did get it right.
I guess if MS finally "got it"; then maybe they should put a little more into their efforts promoting the Kinect device.