Voice assistants were once a thing of sci-fi movies, but now we have dozens of voice assistants vying for all of our attention. One Kickstarter is creating a voice assistant that lives within your home, a lot like the movie Smart House from Disney. L.U.C.Y is a smart assistant that lives on a 17-inch touch screen that can show weather information, show family notes, or double as an art poster.
They’re making the voice assistant your families companion with support for IFTTT, ability to control your smart home, ability to send messages, and facial recognization. The device is easy to set up, and can learn new features to help automate your life from playing music when you come home to turning on the lights. There’s even an app for the device with a family tracker and other unique features that make the device even more compelling.
The smart 17-inch touch screen can be pre-ordered for $399 on Kickstarter now, which is $300 off the retail price. There are larger models up to 27-inch available, which can run you up to $900. The campaign has raised $27,224 with 46 days to go out of their $115,000 goal.
All-in-all, the device might not fit everyone’s budget or needs. The idea of having a smart assistant at home is becoming more popular as devices like the Alexa gain traction. L.U.C.Y might have an uphill battle breaking into everyone’s home, but she’s got a good start with third party developer access.
Tell us in the comments below if you’re going to pick up one of the devices, or if it’s just a little too much to justify right now. Also, don’t forget to tell them we sent you their way!
This seems like a pretty cool idea, similar to an enlarged smartphone but more integrated with your home. I’m asking my phone lots of questions but then again my phone is always with me. I think it could get more exciting than asking it a few questions.
If it’s integrated into your home, it would be nice for it to completely control your home. Your lighting, heating or appliances. ‘L.U.C.Y it’s too cold’ – turns up the heating. ‘L.U.C.Y the sun’s in my eyes’ – lowers the blinds. ‘L.U.C.Y I want to listen to something relaxing’ – plays some slow acoustic guitar on Spotify.
L.U.C.Y could assist you with food. You could maybe scan the barcode and get allergy information, ingredients, calories, etc. It could be good if you’re losing weight or keeping fit, so you know how well you’re eating and L.U.C.Y could recommend food/recipes for you. It could also help you cook it correctly too.
If you did get this though, you’d have to tell your girlfriend first before saying hello to ‘Lucy!’
I already say Alexa enough to have my girlfriend wonder who I’m talking to lol. Other than Alexa, voice assistants have a hard time understand what I say. A lot of this has to do with microphones not being able to listen well enough or filter out background noise.
I use google now a bit and it seems to be better at understanding me than it did on my old phone. I guess the mics on my Leagoo Shark are either clearer or maybe filter out background noise. It seems to work even when other people are talking (something it used to struggle with) or if it’s windy. I would imagine the L.U.C.Y would have to use pretty sensitive mics like the Alexa, otherwise larger rooms might be awkward.