French company Netatmo[1] is adding one more way to control your smart objects around your house. You can now talk and control with all your connected devices using a chatbot in Messenger. The feature is now live in English, with more languages coming later this year. Search for the Netatmo Smart Home Bot in Messenger to start using it.
Netatmo has always tried to embrace as many ways as possible to control your devices. You can control your Netatmo devices using Siri and Apple’s HomeKit, an Amazon Echo device and anything that comes with Alexa, Google Home and now Messenger.
You’ll be able to type straightforward queries, such as “turn on the lights in the living room” and “adjust the temperature in the bedroom to 72°.” But the chatbot will also handle more complex queries, such as “who’s at home right now” and “what’s the weather like right now.” Netatmo says that the chatbot is going to get better over time once you start using it.
I’m still not sure the connected home is going to happen. But I believe people will need many different ways to control their devices. There won’t be an Amazon Echo in every single room, and it’s also quite convenient to control your home while you’re already texting a friend. I hope Netatmo is going to release its chatbot in more messaging apps though.
The company first started with a sophisticated connected weather station but has since expanded to more product lines. Netatmo now sells indoor and outdoor security cameras[2], connected thermostats[3] and radiator valves, an air quality[4] monitoring device.
Last year, the company announced a couple of partnerships[5] with existing...