Article description:
Open Source privacy-focused Voice Assistant
Home Assistant Voice Preview Edition is the open source, privacy-focused voice assistant built to seamlessly connect with Home Assistant, and preview the future of voice today.
Its advanced audio processor and dual microphones allow it to hear your commands and control devices.
Tactile controls, the injection-molded case and LED ring lend to its premium feel, allowing it to blend into the home.
Note: The Voice Preview Edition requires Home Assistant to function properly.
Additional Note: Less powerful Home Assistant hardware may lead to slower speech recognition. If you are using lower-performance Home Assistant hardware, such as Raspberry Pi 4/5, NAS systems, Yellow, Green, etc., you should offload speech processing to the Home Assistant Cloud.
Key Features:
Built for Home Assistant — The first voice hardware designed by the team driving the development of Home Assistant, and built from the ground up to work with Home Assistant.
Preview the future of voice today — Home Assistant is rapidly advancing their open-source, privacy-focused voice assistant for the home. Preview Edition was built to help more people participate in development and allow anyone to preview the future of voice today.
The easiest way to start with Assist — Just connect it to USB-C power (cable and power supply not included) and it will connect with Home Assistant via an intuitive installation wizard. No assembly required.
The private voice assistant — Pairing Voice Preview Edition with powerful Home Assistant hardware (see information box) can allow it to run fully locally, or offload its audio processing to the privacy-focused Home Assistant Cloud. It also includes a hardware mute switch that physically cuts power to the microphones.
Language support — Assist aims to support more languages than other voice assistants, but this is still a work in progress, and Home Assistant needs your help. Check the supported languages in the Home Assistant’s Assist documentation.
Advanced Audio Processing — Dual microphones and the XMOS audio processor cut through noise to hear your voice clearly.
Visual and audio feedback — The multicolored LED ring displays when it's listening, volume levels, and more. Get sensor readings, timers, and other feedback via its speaker. Connect an external speaker for media playback via its 3.5mm headphone jack.
Physical controls — The rotary dial lets you control volume and LED brightness, while the multifunction button can trigger Assist or be customized in Home Assistant.
Blends into the home — Its small, unobtrusive design is injection-molded giving it a premium look, and its tactile controls give it a premium feel.
Expandable — Built on ESPHome, sensors can be added via the included Grove port.
Fully open and community-driven — Completely open software, firmware, and hardware let you make it work the way you want. All backed by a dedicated community customizing and adding functionality.
Specifications:
SoC: ESP32-S3 SoC with 16 MB FLASH storage and 8 MB octal PSRAM
Audio Processing: XMOS XU316 with Echo Cancellation, Stationary Noise Removal, Auto Gain Control
Power Supply: USB-C, 5 V DC, 2 A
Radios: 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0 Low Energy
Audio Output: 3.5 mm stereo headphone jack, Digital-to-Analog Converter (DAC): TI AIC3202, 48 kHz sampling rate
Physical Controls: Multipurpose button, Rotary dial for volume and other input, Mute switch that physically cuts power to the microphone
Microphone & Speaker: Internal speaker, Internal dual-microphone array, Hardware mute switch, Dedicated I2S lines for audio in and out
Expandability: Grove port to connect sensors or other accessories, Easy to open – no clips, only screws to access internals, Exposed pads on PCB for modding
Software: ESPHome preloaded, Fully open-source firmware for both ESP32 and XMOS chip
Requirements: Home Assistant already configured on another device. For fully local speech processing, it is recommended to have a Home Assistant system based on an Intel N100 or higher. Weaker hardware will require a Home Assistant Cloud subscription for optimal speech processing performance.
Language Support: Check Home Assistant Assist documentation for an up-to-date list of supported languages.
Environmental Conditions for Operation: Indoor use only, Temperature: 0 °C to 30 °C / 32 °F to 86 °F, Humidity: non-condensing, Keep in a dry, not excessively dusty environment as dust can damage the unit
Dimensions & Weight: 84x84x21 mm, 96 g | with box: 94x94x30 mm, 120 g
Material: Enclosure: Injection-molded polycarbonate plastic, Colors: White and semi-transparent
