Offline Voice Assistant

What Is This Project?

This project is a proof-of-concept for a privacy-first, offline voice assistant built on the M5Stack Atom Echo. Our goal was to create a reliable and secure voice interface that operates independently of the internet, addressing a critical gap in the current smart device market.

Why Did I Decide to Make It?

I was inspired to create this project by the growing concerns around data privacy, security, and the lack of reliable connectivity in many areas. Existing voice assistants, while powerful, send all user data to the cloud, making them vulnerable to privacy risks and entirely dependent on a stable internet connection.

My project demonstrates that a voice assistant can be both smart and autonomous. It provides a foundational solution for real-world problems in:

Privacy-Critical Environments: Ensuring sensitive conversations in healthcare or personal settings remain private.

• Privacy-Critical Environments: Ensuring sensitive conversations in healthcare or personal settings remain private.

Remote Areas: Providing a reliable tool where Wi-Fi is unreliable or unavailable.

• Remote Areas: Providing a reliable tool where Wi-Fi is unreliable or unavailable.

Accessibility: Offering an always-on, dependable interface for users with limited mobility.

• Accessibility: Offering an always-on, dependable interface for users with limited mobility.

How Does It Work?

The project's functionality is centered on a simple, elegant user experience:

Trigger: A button press on the M5Stack Atom Echo activates the device's "listening" state.

• Trigger: A button press on the M5Stack Atom Echo activates the device's "listening" state.

Processing: Our on-device code processes this input and determines the appropriate response.

• Processing: Our on-device code processes this input and determines the appropriate response.

Response: The integrated speaker then provides an immediate voice response using an offline text-to-speech engine.

• Response: The integrated speaker then provides an immediate voice response using an offline text-to-speech engine.

The entire process is completed on the device itself, without a single byte of data leaving the hardware.

Showcasing the Project: Our Future Vision

This prototype is a crucial first step towards a fully-realized product. It validates the core concept and provides a clear roadmap for future development. My plans include:

Real-Time Voice Recognition: We will integrate the ESP-SR framework to enable true, real-time voice commands, eliminating the need for a button press.

• Real-Time Voice Recognition: We will integrate the ESP-SR framework to enable true, real-time voice commands, eliminating the need for a button press.

Enhanced Functionality: Adding an RTC module for accurate timekeeping and an SD card for local storage of a vast library of custom commands and phrases.

• Enhanced Functionality: Adding an RTC module for accurate timekeeping and an SD card for local storage of a vast library of custom commands and phrases.

True Portability: Integration of a Tailbat battery to allow for autonomous, wire-free operation, making the device truly portable.

• True Portability: Integration of a Tailbat battery to allow for autonomous, wire-free operation, making the device truly portable.

Future IoT Extensions: The system will be expanded to control smart home devices, manage personal tasks, and provide on-device summarization, all from the edge

• Future IoT Extensions: The system will be expanded to control smart home devices, manage personal tasks, and provide on-device summarization, all from the edge