The purpose of Paper Signals is to teach developers how to build their own internet-connected, voice-controlled objects with a simple DIY process. This project is a fun adaptation of the powerful technology behind the Google Assistant.

A primary consideration for Paper Signals was to make it simple enough to be made by anyone — whether they’re an experienced developer or a kid interested in learning how to code. The hardware parts had to be off-the-shelf, the templates printable on a standard printer and paper, and the instructions understandable to beginners.

We were inspired by how voice interaction lets people interact with technology in a natural and conversational way, without having to deal with complex settings on a page. Paper Signals stay connected to the internet and continue tracking what you tell them to, even when they’re not interacting with the Google Assistant.

Paper Signals is a kit of hardware parts and a printable template that shows people how to create their own voice-controlled object. Once you set the signal up, it will continue to track whatever you tell it to.

Paper Signals are all made of standard card stock and off-the-shelf hardware parts. The templates can be printed on a standard InkJet printer.

Our six pre-designed templates are: an umbrella that tracks rain, an arrow signal that tracks the value of a currency, a timer that counts down to whatever you want, a rocket that shows you when a rocket is launching, a little person that signals when it’s time to take a break, and pants that tell you whether it’s warm enough to wear shorts. People can build one of these six example signals, or get the open-sourced code to create their own.

Long-term outcomes:

- Open-source examples show people the back end code and enable them to modify and build their own custom signals.

- Paper craft instructions guide makers through the process of making the physical parts.

Scalability:

- The open-sourced code is accessible by anyone with an internet connection.

- People have started hosting their own workshops at different schools to teach others how to build paper signals.

Value for consumer/brand:

- Demonstrates interesting uses of Actions on Google and DialogFlow.

- Shows people that there are whimsical and fun uses of powerful technologies.

Reach/product impact

- Significant press coverage.

- Buzz on social media by coders and makers excited to create their own signals.

In 2017, Google made DialogFlow and Actions on Google available to developers, encouraging coders to make new interactions for the Google Assistant. We saw an opportunity to design a project that combined these new tools with a DIY project —one that would showcase a seamless voice interaction with both technology and physical objects. Paper Signals highlights the power and flexibility of voice commands, and our hope was to inspire coders and makers everywhere to experiment with creating their own widgets.

We launched tutorials for six different Paper Signals to show what’s possible. They track and display things like rain, whether you should wear pants or shorts, when a rocket is launching, and when it’s time to take a break. The code is open-sourced on github. You can gather your own hardware parts, or buy the complete kits from Adafruit for $25 each.