Project Introduction: Pi-Card
Pi-Card is an innovative project that transforms a Raspberry Pi into a fully functional AI-powered assistant. This assistant is designed to operate offline, ensuring complete privacy and data security for its users. By employing locally-run models, Pi-Card mimics the functionalities of standard language models like ChatGPT but in a private, personalized environment. Let's delve deeper into what makes this project unique and how you can set it up.
Why Pi-Card?
Pi-Card stands for Raspberry Pi - Camera Audio Recognition Device. It leverages the popular Raspberry Pi platform, combining audio and visual processing capabilities to create a comprehensive AI assistant that can perform tasks such as engaging in conversation, capturing images, and interpreting visual content.
How Does Pi-Card Work?
Pi-Card operates using two main methods of interaction:
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With a Wake Word: After initializing the system, Pi-Card continuously listens for a specific trigger or "wake" word (default: "hey assistant"). Once activated, you can engage in a conversation without needing to repeatedly use the wake word.
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With a Button: By integrating a GPIO button onto a simple breadboard, users can manually initiate conversations or commands with the assistant simply by pressing the button before speaking.
The system also includes a configurable memory feature, which allows it to recall previous interactions for coherent, ongoing dialogue.
Usage and Setup
To get started with Pi-Card, users must download the repository and install the required software. The system relies on cpp implementations for audio and visual processing models to maximize speed and efficiency.
- Audio Transcription: Utilizes whisper.cpp.
- Vision Language Model: Employs llama.cpp with some specific adjustments for visual tasks.
Required Hardware
To set up Pi-Card, you'll need the following:
- Raspberry Pi 5 Model B
- USB Microphone and Speaker
- Camera and Camera Connector
- Button and Breadboard for GPIO interactions
While these are the recommended components, Pi-Card can potentially be adapted for use with other similar devices.
Performance Benchmarks
Pi-Card's performance regarding response times has been tested with various models, showing impressive results for both transcription and language processing tasks.
Overclocking
For users familiar with hardware tuning, overclocking the Raspberry Pi can significantly improve the assistant's performance. However, this should be done cautiously, ensuring proper cooling and understanding of potential risks.
Future Roadmap
Planned enhancements for Pi-Card include:
- Expanding functionalities with new external services.
- Improving image processing speeds with updated models.
- Detailed setup guides for broader accessibility.
- New instructional content on platforms like YouTube.
Pi-Card represents a step forward in creating a fully independent, offline AI assistant, encouraging further exploration into the capabilities of on-device AI solutions.