After a success innings of Google Assistant on various Android phones, it has been decided to give the developers a fair go by launching the software development kit for the same. This new feature from Google allows the software developers to build their hardware and run their applications based on the exciting features offered by Google Assistant.
Keeping in mind that it is a release what is technically described as developers review. So you can find many features missing from this initial release, yet it can be seen as an initiative to enable many a third party to develop their hardware powered by the renowned Google Assistant.
Some may say that this is an aggressive strategy by Google to counter the ever increasing popularity of Amazon Alexa. No doubt the driving force behind the improvement of Google Assistant is to stay competitive with Alexa’s personal assistant, but still, it is a well-established fact that Amazon has the upper hand with its state of the art home assistant system.
It is evident from the public response at CES 2017 in awe of Amazon Eco products that Google has to do some more catching up to gain the market. So staying committed to the product and keep adding features is essential for Google.
According to Google, this SDK has all the tools to convert a device into a full fledged Google Assistant. The reason behind such a comprehensive toolkit is the fact that the SDK is primarily based on “Actions on Google” API. This API was launched in 2016 and enable the developers to manufacture their voice-based commands and customize the resulting responses from the device.
Till now, Google Assistant was found in the Android-based gadgets like mobile phones and watches or the devices exclusively developed by Google like Google Home. The release of this SDK has opened the doors for endless possibilities for the developers.
Now you can program your device and make Google Assistant work on it, would it be a toy or a robot. But most of the experts are recommending to go for the combination of this technology presented by Google with the best performing independent or mobile processing device in the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI) i.e. Raspberry Pi.
It is highly comparative to mention here that the purpose of this launch from the owners of the top search engine is not to allow a free of cost license to people, so that they may present consumer products based on Google Assistant in the market. Rather they must be keeping Google Inc. in the loop and follow all the rules and regulations instigated by the competent authority itself.
On the other hand, the California-based software industry giant has stated that they are willing to help developers to integrate Google Assistant in the hardware prototypes. This may lead to the point where you may find Google Assistant in televisions, vehicles, phones and other such gadgets. For the starters, you may soon find this fantastic Assistant in Android-based products like Android TV and Android Auto.
To facilitate the developers, Google’s developer relations team has already uploaded a video which presents a comprehensive introduction about the SDK for the better learning. It also contains some details about the features of this Developers Preview and a few suggestions regarding what it is capable of regarding new design ideas.