How Do Voice Assistants Work?
IntermediateTechnology
A shopper asks a smart home store clerk how voice assistants operate and whether they can control the lights and thermostat at the same time.
M
MeiW
WeiM
你好，我想了解一下这个语音助手是怎么工作的。
nǐ hǎo, wǒ xiǎng liǎojiě yíxià zhège yǔyīn zhùshǒu shì zěnme gōngzuò de.
Hello, I'd like to learn a bit about how this voice assistant works.
W
你好！其实很简单，它用麦克风听你说话，再把你的指令发到云端去处理。
nǐ hǎo! qíshí hěn jiǎndān, tā yòng màikèfēng tīng nǐ shuōhuà, zài bǎ nǐ de zhǐlìng fā dào yúnduān qù chǔlǐ.
Hello! It's actually quite simple—it uses a microphone to hear you speak, then sends your command to the cloud to process.
M
那我只要说话，它就能听懂我的意思吗？
nà wǒ zhǐyào shuōhuà, tā jiù néng tīngdǒng wǒ de yìsi ma?
So as long as I speak, it can understand what I mean?
W
对，只要你先说唤醒词，比如“你好，小智”，它就会开始听你的指令。
duì, zhǐyào nǐ xiān shuō huànxǐngcí, bǐrú “nǐ hǎo, xiǎo zhì”, tā jiù huì kāishǐ tīng nǐ de zhǐlìng.
Right, as long as you first say the wake word, like 'Hello, Xiaozhi,' it'll start listening to your commands.
M
我最关心的是，它能不能同时控制灯和空调的温度？
wǒ zuì guānxīn de shì, tā néng bù néng tóngshí kòngzhì dēng hé kōngtiáo de wēndù?
What I care about most is whether it can control the lights and the air conditioner's temperature at the same time.
W
当然可以，只要这些设备都连到同一个系统里，你一句话就能同时控制。
dāngrán kěyǐ, zhǐyào zhèxiē shèbèi dōu lián dào tóng yí gè xìtǒng lǐ, nǐ yí jù huà jiù néng tóngshí kòngzhì.
Of course. As long as these devices are all connected to the same system, one sentence can control them all at once.
M
听起来不错。那我该怎么把它们连到一起呢？
tīng qǐlái búcuò. nà wǒ gāi zěnme bǎ tāmen lián dào yìqǐ ne?
That sounds great. So how should I connect them together?
W
你只要在手机应用里添加设备，跟着提示一步步操作就行，很方便。
nǐ zhǐyào zài shǒujī yìngyòng lǐ tiānjiā shèbèi, gēnzhe tíshì yíbù yíbù cāozuò jiù xíng, hěn fāngbiàn.
You just add the devices in the phone app and follow the prompts step by step—very convenient.
M
那要是我家网络断了，语音助手还能用吗？
nà yàoshi wǒ jiā wǎngluò duàn le, yǔyīn zhùshǒu hái néng yòng ma?
So if my home network goes down, can the voice assistant still be used?
W
大部分功能都得联网，不过有些设备也支持本地控制，断网的时候也能开关灯。
dàbùfen gōngnéng dōu děi liánwǎng, búguò yǒuxiē shèbèi yě zhīchí běndì kòngzhì, duànwǎng de shíhou yě néng kāiguān dēng.
Most functions need internet, but some devices also support local control, so you can still turn the lights on and off when the network is down.
M
太好了，那我先买一套回去试试吧？
tài hǎo le, nà wǒ xiān mǎi yí tào huíqù shìshi ba?
Great, then let me buy a set first and take it home to try, okay?
W
没问题，我帮你挑一套合适的，安装或设置遇到问题，随时来问我。
méi wèntí, wǒ bāng nǐ tiāo yí tào héshì de, ānzhuāng huò shèzhì yùdào wèntí, suíshí lái wèn wǒ.
No problem. I'll help you pick a suitable set—if you run into any trouble installing or setting it up, come ask me anytime.