Development kit claims Alexa first for mesh Wi-Fi networks

By Majeed Ahmad, contributing writer

Qualcomm’s new development kit  for mesh Wi-Fi networks has integrated the Amazon Alexa Voice Service (AVS) to allow developers to quickly build voice control into connected devices throughout the home. Additionally, Qualcomm has integrated the ClearVoice  far-field voice enhancement software from Meeami Technologies to further boost built-in Alexa in mesh Wi-Fi systems.

The mesh Wi-Fi networks are designed to deliver robust and consistent connectivity to nearly every corner of the home. AVS complements the mesh Wi-Fi systems by allowing smart home users to control music, ask questions, and access hundreds of skills.

Qualcomm claims that it’s the first development kit that enables device makers to build voice-first mesh Wi-Fi systems with minimal time and cost overhead. The ClearVoice far-field voice enhancement algorithms of Meeami Technologies further bolster Alexa-based designs by enabling voice commands to be understood from distances of several meters in noisy conditions typically found in homes.

Key features:

• IPQ4019 integrated network processor
• Integrated audio decoding and post-processing
• Multi-microphone far field voice (FFV) and wake word detection (WWD)
• Support for various I/O technologies
• Full software stack of the Qualcomm Mesh Networking Platform

The combination of Alexa and ClearVoice algorithms also allows manufacturers to create high-quality automatic speech recognition and other key features quickly and efficiently. The Qualcomm Mesh Networking Development Kit for Amazon AVS integrates all previously announced features available in the Qualcomm Mesh Networking Platform reference design .