HOME ASSISTANT (Assist) Voice Assistant

David L

IPCT Contributor
Joined
Aug 2, 2019
Messages
8,272
Reaction score
21,623
Location
USA
I wanted to share this and see if anyone is using Home Assistant's Voice Assistant (Assist). I do not have Nabu Casa so I am hoping I can use my VPN tunnel through the Home Assistant Home App that I presently have setup and using. Also don't have ESPHome installed, not sure if I need it. Really looking forward to have a Local Voice Assistant and kick Google and Alexa to the curb.



This looks like a good video too, helps in creating a Local Pipeline:
 

David L

IPCT Contributor
Joined
Aug 2, 2019
Messages
8,272
Reaction score
21,623
Location
USA
Found this on my Android Phone (S20+ Android version 13), you can change which Voice Assistant you use:
In phone go to Settings/Apps/Choose default apps/Digital assistant app/Device assistant app/Default digital assistant app
There you chose Home Assistant

1702937864376.png

 
Last edited:

David L

IPCT Contributor
Joined
Aug 2, 2019
Messages
8,272
Reaction score
21,623
Location
USA
Got Assist working thanks to @pete_c
I ended up buying some Atom Echoes. They work but of course their small speaker can be hard to hear. I believe we will see more ESP devices that will have more Mics and speakers.
 
Last edited:

pete_c

Getting comfortable
Joined
Jul 30, 2019
Messages
620
Reaction score
692
Location
Time
Using it today with the little M5 echos. Testing TTS now out of the audio output of Home Assistant to the house audio which works a bit better than the little voice from the M5's. I like it better than the Amazon Echo's all over the house and being non internet dependant for VR / TTS. Historically (and still using) Microsoft SAPI. IE: I have collected MS SAPI voice fonts since the 1990's.

echo.jpg
 

David L

IPCT Contributor
Joined
Aug 2, 2019
Messages
8,272
Reaction score
21,623
Location
USA
Still playing with it but turning lights On/Off is great

1708089363358.png
 

George M

n3wb
Joined
Feb 6, 2017
Messages
26
Reaction score
10
I have two Echo Atoms. Mainly because I do not like anything cloud based. With these I can keep everything local.
Pete also helped me with some initial installations.
I now have them responding on house speaker along with my TTS.
 

Keizer

Getting comfortable
Joined
Jan 3, 2023
Messages
177
Reaction score
430
Location
Wa
I have two Echo Atoms. Mainly because I do not like anything cloud based. With these I can keep everything local.
Pete also helped me with some initial installations.
I now have them responding on house speaker along with my TTS.
I just started using Home assistant at the beginning of the year. Absolutely love it. Replacing my two Amazon echo/Show devices is high on my list of things to do. I have never heard of the Echo Atoms but they look great!
 

David L

IPCT Contributor
Joined
Aug 2, 2019
Messages
8,272
Reaction score
21,623
Location
USA
I just started using Home assistant at the beginning of the year. Absolutely love it. Replacing my two Amazon echo/Show devices is high on my list of things to do. I have never heard of the Echo Atoms but they look great!
Yep, that's my plan, to get rid of these (Google/Amazon) 24/7 listening, Cloud based, Recording, No Privacy devices...

I ordered mine here:


Got them in less than a week...it is an overseas purchase/shipment...but got here fast...
 

David L

IPCT Contributor
Joined
Aug 2, 2019
Messages
8,272
Reaction score
21,623
Location
USA
I have two Echo Atoms. Mainly because I do not like anything cloud based. With these I can keep everything local.
Pete also helped me with some initial installations.
I now have them responding on house speaker along with my TTS.
Yep Pete is Da Man...
 

David L

IPCT Contributor
Joined
Aug 2, 2019
Messages
8,272
Reaction score
21,623
Location
USA

David L

IPCT Contributor
Joined
Aug 2, 2019
Messages
8,272
Reaction score
21,623
Location
USA
Got my ESP32-S3-BOX-3...I know I am late to the game, ordinally ordered this thru Mouser.com at the end of last year with delivery dates changing every month. When I saw it available on Amazon I placed an order there too. Well, sure enough their estimated deliver date also changed too but it arrived before the June date given.

1716898619987.png
I see everyone is out of stock again...
 
Last edited:

David L

IPCT Contributor
Joined
Aug 2, 2019
Messages
8,272
Reaction score
21,623
Location
USA
 

David L

IPCT Contributor
Joined
Aug 2, 2019
Messages
8,272
Reaction score
21,623
Location
USA
Does this have accomodations for connecting an external speaker for better sound?
In my search I found this:




janstadt

Apr 24

Put this in your voice_assistant section and it’ll pipe the response out to whichever entity_id you want.

on_tts_end:
- homeassistant.service:
service: media_player.play_media
data:
entity_id: media_player.the_kitchen
media_content_id: !lambda 'return x;'
media_content_type: music
announce: "true"



janstadt




Was able to figure out how to mute the speaker by removing the speaker component like below:

speaker: !remove
# - id: !remove box_speaker

voice_assistant:
speaker: !remove box_speaker
on_tts_stream_start: !remove
on_tts_stream_end: !remove
on_tts_start:
  • lambda: id(voice_assistant_phase) = ${voice_assist_replying_phase_id};
  • script.execute: draw_display
  • homeassistant.service:
service: notify.kitchen
data:
message: !lambda 'return x;'
on_tts_end:
  • lambda: id(voice_assistant_phase) = ${voice_assist_idle_phase_id};
  • script.execute: draw_display


on_tts_stream_start|end both require the speaker component so i removed those as well and just went with on_tts_start|end.

o0o-sp




Can you please tell me exactly
where should I insert this yaml code? In a “voice_assistant” section of
the esp32-s3-box-3 yaml conf file?




janstadt

Apr 27

Was able to figure out how to mute the speaker by removing the speaker component like below:

speaker: !remove
# - id: !remove box_speaker

voice_assistant:
speaker: !remove box_speaker
on_tts_stream_start: !remove
on_tts_stream_end: !remove
on_tts_start:
- lambda: id(voice_assistant_phase) = ${voice_assist_replying_phase_id};
- script.execute: draw_display
- homeassistant.service:
service: notify.kitchen
data:
message: !lambda 'return x;'
on_tts_end:
- lambda: id(voice_assistant_phase) = ${voice_assist_idle_phase_id};
- script.execute: draw_display


on_tts_stream_start|end both require the speaker component so i removed those as well and just went with on_tts_start|end.
 

David L

IPCT Contributor
Joined
Aug 2, 2019
Messages
8,272
Reaction score
21,623
Location
USA
So I got my ESP32-S3-Box-3 installed today and working. The speaker is what everyone has said, it is no better than the Atom I already have Installed.

I will say the Mic is much, much better. On the Atom you almost have to hold it like a Mic. You do have to speak loud but it picks up my voice from around 4 feet away and that is with a loud floor fan in my room.

Installation was a breeze, but most of the leg work was done when the Atom was installed, thanks @pete_c

1717085019805.png

1717082116342.png

These are my settings for the ESP32 S3-Box 3
1717082716860.png
 
Last edited:

David L

IPCT Contributor
Joined
Aug 2, 2019
Messages
8,272
Reaction score
21,623
Location
USA
Does this have accomodations for connecting an external speaker for better sound?
Here we go, don't know how I missed this 3 moinths ago, I am subscribed to his channel. Guess I quit holding my breath on getting one of these back then.

Anyway this is may be my next project:

 

David L

IPCT Contributor
Joined
Aug 2, 2019
Messages
8,272
Reaction score
21,623
Location
USA
The ESP32-S3-Box 3 comes with a Base which you can power with a battery:

1717085762016.png

The bottom of the Base:
1717085811536.png
 
Top