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this post was submitted on 14 Feb 2024
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The problem I have always had with voice control is that it just doesn't really seem to fit into my home automation. I don't want to give Home Assistant a verbal command to turn on the lights. I want it to detect that I've entered the room and set the lights to the appropriate scene automatically; I haven't touched a light switch in weeks. For selecting an album or movie to play, it's easier to use a menu on a screen than to try to explain it verbally.
Don't get me wrong. I'm hugely in favor of anything that runs locally instead of using the "cloud." I think that the majority of people running a home automation server want to tinker with it and streamline it to do things on its own. I want it to "read my mind." The people who just want a basic solution probably aren't going to set up HA.
Maybe I'm missing a use case for voice control?
Even ignoring privacy arguments, I think that voice control is a great use case for running services locally - lower latency due to not having up upload your sample and the option of having it learn your accent is very attractive.
That said, voice control is irritatingly error-prone and seems to be slower than just reaching for the remote control. I agree that automatic stuff would be best, but some stuff you can't have rules for.
Something that would be interesting is a more eye- and gesture-based system: I'm thinking something like you look at the camera and slice across your throat for stop or squeeze fingers together to reduce volume. This is definitely one to run locally, for privacy and performance reasons.
But where do you put the camera? If you're sitting in front of the TV, then near the TV makes sense. What if you're sitting facing a different direction with a book though? What if your hands are full?
A camera based system would be much more limited, and probably wouldn't work in the dark.
You're assuming that we can't have both. Why not have it as an complementary input?
I think looking at a device and talking is better than saying hey $brandname before everything, but having both would be better still.