We worked with IKEA to prototype and define the voice user interface that would let their HomeSmart range speak for itself.

IKEA's HomeSmart range of devices had previously relied on third-party voice interfaces such as Google Home and Amazon Alexa. While these allowed quick adoption, they raised growing questions around supplier dependency, data privacy and trust. IKEA came to BB to change that, tasking us with building a technical prototype for IKEA Voice, a proprietary VUI for the HomeSmart ecosystem, alongside a narrative framework for communicating the concept clearly and confidently.

We created a technical prototype and narrative framework that together define what IKEA Voice is and how it should behave. Scriptwriting was central to the process, letting us explore natural language processing in a controlled environment, test real-world scenarios and shape the personality, tone and values the voice would embody. The result is a voice interface built around IKEA's mission to simplify everyday life at home: natural, focused and designed to save people time and effort, without the complexity or privacy concerns of third-party platforms.

Backend
Python, aiohttp, socket.io

Voice pipeline & wake-word
NVIDIA NeMo, PocketSphinx, WebRTC VAD

Audio streaming
WebRTC / aiortc

Device integration
pytradfri / IKEA Trådfri