AI-generated Key Takeaways
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The Google Assistant SDK enables the integration of voice control, natural language processing, and Google's intelligence into projects, primarily for experimental and non-commercial purposes.
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It offers a low-level API for manipulating audio, accessible through various programming languages, along with Python reference code for audio handling and conversation management.
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While supporting audio input/output and visual HTML5 responses, it lacks hands-free activation, timers/alarms, podcast/news playback, and broadcast messaging capabilities.
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Developers can build projects by leveraging the gRPC APIs, customizing functionality with Actions on Google, and adhering to best practices for privacy, security, and audio configuration.
The Google Assistant SDK lets you add voice control, natural language understanding and Google’s smarts to your ideas. Your project captures an utterance (a spoken audio request, such as What's on my calendar?), sends it to the Google Assistant, and receives a spoken audio response in addition to the raw text of the utterance.
Google Assistant Service
The Google Assistant Service exposes a low level API that lets you directly manipulate the audio bytes of an Assistant request and response. Bindings for this API can be generated for languages like Node.js, Go, C++, Java for all platforms that support gRPC.
Reference code is provided in Python for audio capture, audio playback, and conversation state management.
Compatibility and feature support
The following table summarizes the platform compatibility requirements of the Google Assistant Service:
| Google Assistant service | ||
|---|---|---|
| Supported architectures | All gRPC platforms | |
| Supported languages | All gRPC languages | |
| Hands-free activation (Ok Google) |
No | |
| Audio capture and playback | Reference code is provided | |
| Conversation state management | Reference code is provided | |
| Timers and alarms | No | |
| Playback of podcasts and news | No | |
| Broadcast voice messages | No | |
| Visual output (HTML5) of Assistant responses | Yes |
Steps to start building your projects
The SDK lets you build projects quickly by embedding the Google Assistant and then letting you add unique functionality with Actions on Google:
- Build your project using the gRPC APIs.
- Get ideas for next steps to customize it.
- Polish your project by reading best practices for privacy and security and audio configuration.