We’re excited to share that Intel has announced the Intel^® Speech Enabling Developer Kit, designed for device makers to quickly bring new Alexa-enabled products to market. The dev kit is the first audio front end solution that combines far-field voice processing and "Alexa" wake word detection on a single chip. It is based on a new digital signal processor (DSP) architecture from Intel that enables high-quality voice capture in acoustically challenging environments. The Intel Speech Enabling Dev Kit can be used to integrate Alexa into a variety of smart home products such as wireless speakers, smart alarms, access points, and more.

Under the Hood

Intel’s dual DSP with inference engine is the primary technology in the kit. The chip interfaces with a reference 8-microphone circular array for 360-degree voice capture and combines far-field signal processing algorithms with a custom on-chip wake word engine tuned for “Alexa.” This optimized architecture greatly simplifies the process of adding far-field voice recognition to connected products. 

The Intel Speech Enabling Dev Kit includes the hardware, software, and documentation to prototype products with the Alexa Voice Service, and features:

• Intel's dual DSP with inference engine
• High-performance algorithms for acoustic echo cancellation and noise reduction, enabling speech capture in noisy environments, even with loud music playback
• 8-Mic circular array with beam forming for 360-degree voice capture
• On-chip wake word engine tuned to “Alexa”
• Compatible with Raspberry Pi 3 running AVS client software for easy prototyping

Register for a Workshop, and Pre-order the Dev Kit Today

Developers who want to get a jumpstart on assessing and prototyping with the Intel Speech Enabling Dev Kit can register for a hands-on technical workshop at Amazon’s AWS re:Invent conference in Las Vegas. Conference attendees can sign-up for one of two workshops sessions to be offered on Thursday, Nov. 30. This workshop will be conducted by engineers from the Amazon Alexa Voice Service and Intel Smart Home teams. Visit the re:Invent website for more information. Additional workshops will be offered at upcoming industry events including the Embedded Systems Conference in San Jose and the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas – stay tuned for more information and registration details.

The Intel Speech Enabling Dev Kit is available now for pre-order directly from Intel and will start shipping to developers next month. Buy.

Intel and Amazon Alexa Smart Life Roadshow

The magic of the connected home is something to be experienced firsthand, for developers and consumers. This is why Intel and Amazon launched the Smart Life Roadshow earlier this year. It’s a traveling showcase, outfitted with the latest voice-forward technology, as well as Alexa-enabled smart home tech from Sonos, ecobee, Logitech, and more. It’s on tour in select locations through January 2018.

Upcoming stops include AWS re:Invent in Las Vegas, the Embedded Systems Conference in San Jose, and CES in Las Vegas. Read more about the Smart Life Roadshow, and to check out the full itinerary of stops.

What Is the Alexa Voice Service?

AVS enables developers to integrate Alexa directly into their products, bringing the convenience of voice control to any connected device. AVS provides developers with access to a suite of resources to quickly and easily build Alexa-enabled products, including APIs, hardware development kits, software development kits, and documentation. Through AVS, device makers can add a new intelligent interface to their products and offer customers access to a growing number of Alexa features, smart home integrations, and skills. Just ask, and Alexa will respond. Visit the AVS Developer Portal to get started.

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Have questions? Visit us on the AVS Forum to speak with one of our experts.