Xiaomi mi vacuum cleaner (also Roborock)

Sorry for not replying sooner. You’ll need to set up a virtual sensor in SmartThings. (You can find details on the forum.) Then you’ll want to use something like webCore to set the sensor based on geolocation. (Also discussed on the forum.) After setting this up in SmartThings, you’ll need to go into the Alexa smart app in SmartThings and grant access to the virtual sensor. Then rediscover devices in Alexa. Once Alexa has discovered the sensor, you can add a Routine in Alexa and use the Sensor as a trigger, etc.

Can the Alexa middleman be done with google home?

Yes, either Alexa or Google Assistant (or both) can be used to control the vacuum. Set up for Google Assistant integration is very straightforward, similar to Alexa.

https://assistant.google.com/services/a/uid/00000059b6df25e0?hl=en-US

The google assistant integration allows for more control than Alexa does. I use Alexa for voice control of most of my home automation because we have several echo devices throughout the house, but it only allows for on/off control of the Xiaomi vacuum. The Google Assistant integration allows start, pause, stop, query status (“is robot cleaning?”, and charge for sure, and possibly more commands that I haven’t tried / found yet.

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I found that if you have both the Roborock AND the Mi Home skill enabled in Alexa, you can set up routines to stop (pause), resume, and return to dock. Officially, each of these skills only has on/off. However, the “off” in one skill pauses/stops, and the “off” in the other skill docks the robot. Having both skills enabled will give you two devices in Alexa. You can set up a voice activated routine to use one device’s off for “stop the vacuum” (etc) and the other device for “dock the vacuum” (etc).

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Good to know, I didn’t even realize there was a separate Roborock skill. That must be the skill where “off” sends it to the dock, because with Mi Home “off” simply pauses it.

The ability to query the vacuum status with Google is really the main reason we use it. My wife and kids all like to ask what the robot’s doing.

Hi
Because i have Google home and i think you can do this that you taking can i use alexa app without the hardware?

I think you should be able to use just the Alexa app without the Echo hardware.

Alexa app working without hardware but please tell me what you have do on the routine because I can’t see any way to trigger the routine for example with the virtual switch from SmartThings but only with a phrase except if you using ifttt

Have you performed all these steps and authorized ST to allow Alexa access to your virtual switch? (The link has instructions for both the latest ST app and the Classic ST app.)

Sorry my mistake
I thought that you can trigger the routine only with speach but you can do it with device too so was my mistake

Ps. As device that trigger routines have only motion sensors and doors

So I change the virtual switch type as simulated garage door opener (from api.SmartThings page) so after this Alexa found it as a trigger device and then add roborock vicuum as action to power on

Also I create a routine on SmartThings app that open this simulated garage door when everyone have left and also do it it that only once per day

So finally fix my problem

Glad to hear you got it all working.

I’ve been trying to set up a similar thing, I have a Roborock S5Max and want to be able to get the vacuum to start if the house is set to away mode (triggered by neither mobile being in the house).

I’ve managed to get the virtual switch set up and recognised by Alexa BUT the vacuum doesn’t appear in the device list to trigger.

I’m UK based so may be a region thing as i can only use the roborock plus app. which seems to have limited support?

Any suggestions welcome

Have you enabled the Roborock skill in Alexa, linked accounts, and run device discovery in Alexa? It should add a switch to Alexa with the name that you gave your vacuum in the Roborock app during set up. I have two devices in Alexa for my vacuum, one from the Mi Home skill and the other from the Roborock skill.

Yup, but alexa wont recognize it.

I even tried it with each of the apps, Roborock, Robrock Plus and the Xiaomi home app but all had the same problem. I eventually stuck with the plus app as it was the only one that semi worked with voice control and after speaking to Roborock supports, thats the one they recommended.

From what I can tell, you would need to use the Mi Home phone app to control your robot in order to use the Alexa skills that make your robot available as a smart home device. The Roborock Plus skill is used for robots not set up on the Mi Home phone app and it looks like that skill is very “clunky” where you have to ask Alexa to “ask Roborock” … it’s not taking advantage of the Alexa smart home capabilities.

Have you tried to get the robot set up using the Mi Home phone app instead? Or is the robot model or your location not working with the Mi Home phone app?

Hmmm, that’s odd. You might be right about it being a regional thing. What server is your vacuum using?

I have both the Mi Home and Roborock skills added to Alexa, and they each created a separate device in Alexa for the vacuum. The device type for the one created with Roborock is a switch, the device type for the Mi Home one is “other”.

You’re actually the reason I have both as you pointed out that they each do something different when “turned off”. One sends it back to the dock and the other pauses it. By enabling both skills and creating virtual switches I can use SmartThings to start, pause, or return to dock.

Me too. My phone app where the robot is registered and controlled is the Xiaomi “Mi Home” app. It looks like Roborock has an alternative phone app that you can register and control the robot. That account uses the Roborock Plus alexa skill instead of the Roborock Home alexa skill. I think you have to register the robot on the Mi Home phone app to use the alexa skills that allow routine device control.

Hi,
I am fairly new to Smartthings and trying to setup Alexa and Roborock S5 using Smartthings to clean specific geo locations similar to person who did this using HA.

https://hackernoon.com/how-i-set-up-room-cleaning-automation-with-google-home-home-assistant-and-xiaomi-vacuum-cleaner-9149e0267e6d

I have already setup Alexa to start and pause using Mi home skill.
Any pointers would be helpful.

Regards
S

Searching through Reddit forum, found this solution

Thanks @veonua. If you are here, easier to chat in this forum than reddit :slight_smile:

ugh, Reddit app is much faster than this site.
as far as I know neither Alexa nor Smarthings allow to send UDP packages to the local network. And this breaks all the magic.
Luckily Google has at least partial support of the local network devices (it doesn’t listen for UDP answers)