If you are like me then you might find learning new technology to be a daunting experience. For example, have you ever tried to save any kind of personal settings in your car and been frustrated beyond belief by all the steps needed for a simple adjustment? That can be a similar feeling when using the new technology for window coverings. There is a programming learning curve to be sure. But once mastered you will find that using your home integrated voice assistant device to raise and lower your shades to be an easy and fun experience.
Automations can also be set. That means that you can program your shades via the app to raise and lower at any given time you desire. Maybe you want them to open an hour after sunrise, or close two hours after sunset. You can do this all via the app for your shades! How amazing is that?
Specifically this blog will discuss the Google Voice Assistant with Somfy motors.
Hopefully today, at Window Fashionista, I can make this a little simpler for you. There are quite a few voice assistant enabled devices, or third party OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) brands. Some people call them Smart Speakers, or AI Assistants, or a Third Party Home Integration Device. Here's a lineup:
Google Home
Amazon Alexa
Apple Siri
IFTTT (If This Then That)
This blog will focus on some of the smart speakers that we encounter and that work well with the different window coverings we offer. We will focus first on using Google Assistant with Somfy motors that have smart motors. The smart motors will receive signals from the gateway, or hub. The gateway is what the Somfy motors use, called the TaHoma gateway. You purchased it with the shades when your order them. Once you have the TaHoma gateway you follow the directions in the app to set it up with the Google Assistant. The Google Home is the third party integration device that you will choose. "Activate" is the term used by Google. The other home integration devices use different terminology which I will address in a future blog. As you can see this is a little time intensive and can get complicated, so I will take it slowly.
If you have Somfy motors in your window treatments and you have a Google AI Assistant then the best way to raise and lower your shades is to tell Google to "Activate" the shades.
In the photo below you can see the step by step instructions using the TaHoma App to program your Somfy motors with the Google Assistant. (photo is directly from the Somfy web site)
You will need to customize your window shades using Scenes (or as Somfy phrases it "scenarios." Various scenes can be "wake up", "leaving house", "kids room" and "patio sun." Once these are set, then you tell Google to "activate" the scene you've preset in the app.
Practice makes perfect and once you have experienced the wonders of home automation using voice control you might never go back to manual operations of your shades. When you work with Window Fashionista our team will be able to walk you through the process. Please consider giving us a call to consult with you on your window covering automation needs.
For further reference please check out this YouTube video from our business partner Kempler Design.
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