These days, smart assistants are taking the tech world by storm. Amazon’s Alexa and Google’s Assistant are now built into every device, be it car devices, showers, or just about anything else unveiled at CES 2018. But despite all this, the best-selling devices that support these assistants are the company’s own products. Amazon Echo and Google Home.
While both smart speakers are great on their own, wouldn’t it be great to have the power of both in one device? Well, now you can. At Beebom we’ve created our own guide on how to build your own smart speaker with both Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa capabilities. So, without further ado, let’s get straight to the point.
note: The following project was created with the help of a program. GitHub project.
Things you need:
- Raspberry Pi 3 (connection)
- microSD Card 32GB (connection)
- USB Wall Charger (connection)
- 3-port USB Hub (connection)
- USB-A to microUSB Cable (connection)
- USB Microphone (connection)
- Portable Speaker with AUX input (connection)
- Keyboard and mouse (connection)
- Display with HDMI port (connection)
- HDMI cable (connection)
Smart Speaker Creation Steps:
1. To get started, you must first set up your Raspberry Pi. To do this, simply download NOOBS package, Extract it to your microSD card and insert it into your Raspberry Pi. Connect the USB Keyboard, Mouse, Microphone and Speaker to the Pi and turn it on. You will now receive an initial setup. Select and install Debian to start the Debian installation on your Raspberry Pi.
2. Now, Amazon Developer Account and create a security profile. you can follow GitHub project instructions additionally. Once done, Make a note of your Amazon account credentials.
next, a Google Developer Account and enable Google Assistant API. When you’re done with that, Download the credentials.json file Google Your Product to /home/pi and Rename it to assistant.json.
3. Now, run the following commands one by one. Clone the GitHub project and make installer files executable:
git clone https://github.com/shivasiddharth/Assistants-Pi
sudo chmod +x /home/pi/Assistants-Pi/prep-system.sh
sudo chmod +x /home/pi/Assistants-Pi/audio-test.sh
sudo chmod +x /home/pi/Assistants-Pi/installer.sh
sudo /home/pi/Assistants-Pi/prep-system.sh
First, the operating system will be updated and upgraded. Next, you will be asked to choose the sound setup. Choose “3” from the options. Now restart the Raspberry Pi.
4. When restarted, first check your sound setup with
sudo /home/pi/Assistants-Pi/audio-test.sh
The script is interactive, just press “y” if you hear the sound, and “n” if you don’t. If you do not hear the sound, you need to check the wiring.
5. Now that your system is ready, run the following command. start the installer:
sudo /home/pi/Assistants-Pi/installer.sh
The script will now be executed. It’s a pretty simple script, just follow the on-screen instructions.
6. After both utilities are installed, a screen like the one below will be displayed. run commands one by one Authenticate Alexa. When you’re done with that, Make changes to the README file located at /home/pi/Assistants-Pi to start assistants at boot.
And that’s it. Your 2-in-1 smart speaker is ready. Also, although you can use all the setup barebones, we decided to wrap things up in a nice little cardboard box and apply a black graph paper while we’re crafting the Beebom. You can also check out our video below to see our speaker in action:
SEE ALSO: Google Home vs Amazon Echo: Google Assistant Gets Alexa
DIY Smart Speaker: The Best of Both Worlds
I know you can buy your own Amazon Echo Dot and Google Home Mini, but you may also be aware that these products are not available everywhere. Moreover, with the guide above, you can create a speaker that combines the power of both voice assistants in one device. Oh, and aren’t do-it-yourself projects always fun? I know I really enjoy making my own smart speaker, and the result was more than satisfying. But what about you? Share with us your experience of creating your own smart speaker in the comments below.