Amazon unveils 3D map to locate and control smart home devices
Amazon has introduced Alexa Home Map, an interactive 3D view designed to help people see and control smart home devices by their location. It offers an alternative to app dashboards made up of room lists and device tiles, making it easier to find a light or speaker by where it is rather than by its name.
The map can show animated device icons, lights in their current colours and brightness, speakers playing music, and activity from outdoor security cameras, including people and vehicles. To create it, users enter their address, scan their home with a compatible iPhone using lidar, then place their devices on the map; Android support is planned. Amazon says the preview will begin later this year on iOS and the Alexa and Ring apps, as well as selected Echo Show and tablet devices.
In short
- Alexa Home Map shows smart devices in a 3D home layout.
- Users scan their home and position devices on the map.
- A preview is planned for later this year.
Explained simply
Smart home devices such as lights, speakers and security cameras connect to the internet so people can control them remotely, often through an app. As households add more devices, finding the right one in lists organised by room or device name can become difficult.
Amazon makes Alexa, a voice assistant and app used to control compatible devices, and Ring, which sells connected cameras and other home security products. A 3D home map is another way to show where those devices are, linking each one to its physical location and giving users a view of activity around the home.
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Originally published by Engadget as “The Alexa Home Map is a visual way to see and control your smart home”.