How To Make Alexa Open a Drawer (A Full DIY Guide)


How To Make Alexa Open a Drawer

Technology has improved in a myriad of ways over the past decade, and things that used to seem impossible are now becoming commonplace.

Alexa can control a lot of technology for us, but what about everyday items?

Since Alexa can do so much, you might be wondering whether Alexa can open a drawer.

Follow these steps to make Alexa open a drawer:

  1. Find the right technology to create a motorized drawer.
  2. Build a motorized draw.
  3. Attach it to Alexa using the curtain tracks methodology.
  4. Use your voice to control the drawer through Alexa.

In this article, we’ll discuss what Alexa is, how you can make a mechanical drawer device, sync that device to Alexa to control it with your voice, and whether or not you think it’s worth trying to do. 

1. Find The Right Technology To Create A Motorized Drawer

In order to create a motorized drawer, you must first buy a smart technology like Alexa.

What Is Alexa, and Where Can I Buy One?

If you found this article, you may be wondering what Alexa is or where you can purchase one.

You may also be wondering if there are different versions, and which is the best? 

Alexa is Amazon’s smart technology that helps you with daily tasks and bits of information throughout the day through voice commands.

One of Alexa’s best features is that you can set it up to control smart devices. Alexa comes in various formats to buy online or at retail shops.

Alexa has been a part of Amazon’s product portfolio since 2013.

They make various products that you can use with the technology, but the most common is the Amazon Echo (4th Gen) conveniently available on amazon.com. The echo devices allow you to control different household devices like lights, TV, and music as long as you make sure they’re in sync with the device.

Are There Smart Drawers Available To Purchase?

Most people use Alexa to check the weather, turn on or off a light, control their music or television, and ask simple questions they want to have answered.

However, some people may want Alexa to do other things like open drawers.

Since Alexa can perform various tasks, we need to ask if smart drawers are available to buy?

There are no smart drawers available to purchase in the current market that is compatible with Alexa. However, we expect Alexa-compatible smart drawers sometime soon because it’s possible to design one by yourself.

Can I Build a Drawer That Alexa Will Open?

Since you can’t buy any Alexa-powered drawers, you may want to build one yourself.

Is it possible to get a drawer that Alexa will open with some tools and effort?

You can build a drawer that Alexa will open. While not an easy task, if you use the right tools and technology to build your drawer then you might have some success. It may take a lot of work and some creative thinking, but it’s possible to make a drawer that Alexa will open.

2. Build a Motorized Drawer

To set up Alexa to sync with the drawer, you’ll need to ensure your motorized drawer is compatible.

Making your motorized drawer will take quite a bit of work and some know-how, but videos are available online to help you do this, like the YouTube video below:

The motorized drawer you construct would be the mechanical part of the drawer you could attach to smart technology like Alexa.

You would then need to sync Alexa to the smart drawer which will take some patience and engineering talent.

3. Attach It to Alexa Using the Curtain Tracks Methodology

Next, you’d need to attach the drawer to Alexa.

Some people have done this with curtain tracks using a similar methodology.

I see no reason you couldn’t use a similar setup to construct a motorized drawer, as shown in this YouTube video:

These videos both show some creative ways to start making a drawer that would be compatible with Alexa.

It would still take some creativity and inventiveness on your behalf, as neither video is a step-by-step guide to making a drawer that Alexa can open.

However, with enough effort and ingenuity, it seems possible to make a drawer that Alexa will open.

4. Use Your Voice to Control the Drawer Through Alexa

Once you have set up the motorized drawer and synced it to Alexa you will now have to give the commands for the drawer to open.

This is done with a few easy steps.

  1. Go into Alexa and click Skills and Games.
  2. Choose the Skill: Smart Life.
  3. Go to devices and click the appropriate device – in this instance, your motorized drawer.

You can rename the device.

For example, you could specify that it’s your bedroom dresser drawer.

Is It Worth the Effort To Make a Drawer That Alexa Can Open?

We’ve seen that you’d need to design the technology yourself to allow Alexa to open a drawer using a few different techniques and applications.

Making your smart drawer does take a fair amount of time and effort.

You may question whether it’s worth the effort it would take to make a drawer that Alexa can open?

It may be worth the effort to make a drawer that Alexa can open. Whether you want to construct the drawer depends on how much free time you have available, how much you want or need the technology to open the drawer for you, and if you can make the drawer yourself or hire someone to do it.

One of the best things about Alexa is that it provides accessibility for so many people for various household objects and tools.

Alexa is a fantastic helper for people with disabilities, children, or people who want more hands-free convenience in their homes.

You can see where this technology would be an excellent convenience for those who have trouble opening drawers for various reasons.

In this sense, it would absolutely be worth the time and effort of making an Alexa-compatible drawer, depending on why you need it.

Conclusion

After researching various pages online, we’ve determined that there doesn’t appear to be an Alexa-compatible drawer on the market.

You can, however, make your own Alexa-compatible drawer yourself.

Making your drawer would take some effort and ingenuity, and you’d need a fair amount of time to complete the project.

If your goal is to have accessibility for your drawers through a voice-activated smart technology like Alexa, you can make an Alexa-compatible drawer on your own.

Just watch some of the videos we linked to and know that it won’t be an easy project, but it’ll surely be rewarding.

Nelson Barbosa

I'm an engineer in love with smart home tech. On my website, I share useful tips and tricks to help my readers get the most of their devices and make their lives simpler by adding just a drop of technology in everyday routines!

Recent Posts