Google Assistant gets the ability to control seven more device types

The team behind Google Assistant has recently added seven new device types to their list of device types that can integrate natively with the Google Assistant. These device types provide developers and OEMs with the control schemas needed to integrate devices with the Assistant ecosystem.

Google has achieved a slow and steady pace with adding new device types to the list and today we welcome the following:

• Carbon Monoxide dDtectors
• Media Remotes
• Sensors
• Set-top-boxes
• Televisions
• Water Purifiers
• Water Softeners

Really these can be grouped into three basic categories sensors, water devices, and entertainment control. With Google rumoured to be bringing out an Android TV-powered Chromecast successor it’s not surprising to see Google add-in device strategies essential for integration of such a device into the Google Assistant ecosystem.

With more and more devices being added to the list, and slowly more Google Assistant-enabled devices coming onto the market the need for a low power mesh wireless standard is growing. For anyone who has ever tried to get a large number of Wi-Fi devices onto a single network will know you quickly end up with an unreliable network.

Scott and I both use Z-Wave networks to overcome this issue but it seems Google is wanting to invest in a different standard. With Google being involved with the new Project Connected Home over IP (CHIP) still in development it may be sometimes until we have a fully reliably IoT ecosystem.