Alexa Skill: Task Manager

Overview

This Alexa Skill allows users to manage their daily tasks and set reminders using voice commands. It integrates with external services like Google Calendar to manage reminders.

Technical Details

• Language: Python
• API: Alexa Skills Kit (ASK), AWS Lambda for serverless deployment
• Integration: Google Calendar API for setting reminders

Setup Instructions

Prerequisites

• Amazon Developer Account
• AWS Account
• Python 3.8 or later
• AWS CLI configured with your account

Step 1: Clone the repository

git clone https://github.com/your-repo/task-manager-alexa-skill.git
cd task-manager-alexa-skill

Step 2: Install dependencies

pip install -r requirements.txt

Step 3: Set up AWS Lambda

1. Log in to your AWS account and go to the Lambda Console.
2. Create a new function with Python 3.8 as the runtime.
3. Upload the lambda_function.py file to the function code.
4. Deploy the function and note the ARN.

Step 4: Create the Alexa Skill

1. Log in to the Alexa Developer Console.
2. Create a new skill and set the invocation name to "task manager".
3. Upload the skill.json and models/en-US.json files.
4. Set the endpoint to the ARN from your Lambda function.
5. Test the skill using the Alexa simulator.

Challenges and Solutions

• Natural Language Understanding: Implemented custom slot types and extensive user testing.
• Integration with External APIs: Used the Google Calendar API for setting reminders.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License.