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Raspberry Pi AI Assistant
Cole Tharaldson
Department of Computer Science, Minnesota State University Moorhead
CSIS 492: Senior Seminar
Dr. Andrew Chen
May 4, 2020
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Abstract
Artificial Intelligence (AI) assistants are nearly everywhere you look in today’s society. With the use of a Raspberry Pi computer and the Google Application Programming Interface (API), an AI assistant can be created. Much like Google Home, this AI assistant can help people with everyday tasks, such as handling requests, controlling smart devices, answering questions, or even telling jokes.
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Artificial Intelligence is a rapidly growing subclass of Computer Science that “makes it possible for machines to learn from experience, adjust to new inputs, and perform human-like tasks” (“Artificial Intelligence – What It Is and Why It Matters.”). The code and programs that make up Artificial Intelligence are based on human neural networks. By putting these programs and machines together, useful technology can be created to help out in our everyday lives.
In the case of my Senior project, I used a Raspberry Pi for the “machine” and the Google
Assistant API (Application Programming Interface) as the “program.” A Raspberry Pi is a credit card sized CPU (Central Processing Unit) with a Linux based operating system. Specifically, I used the Raspberry Pi 4 with 4 GB of RAM (Random Access Memory) and a 32 GB Micro SD card along with a USB microphone and USB speakers. In order to obtain the Google Assistant
API, I had to first visit https://console.actions.google.com and start a “New Project.” Next, I followed the steps to register the model of my device. Then, I received and downloaded the “OAuth
2.0 Credentials” for my Raspberry Pi. Finally, I activated the activity controls needed for my AI assistant. These crucial steps allowed my Raspberry Pi to be authorized for the use of the Google
Assistant API.
Once the authorization was complete, I hooked my Raspberry Pi up to my monitor in order to start the configuration process. The terminal commands “arecord -l” and “aplay -l” were used to obtain the card and device numbers assigned to the microphone and speakers. Once these were obtained, I created a “.asoundrc” file in the “/home/pi/” directory in order to put these numbers to use (Figure 1).
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pcm.!default { type asym capture.pcm "mic" playback.pcm "speaker" } pcm.mic { type plug slave { pcm "hw:
This allowed the Raspberry Pi to use the correct input and output devices needed for my AI assistant to work properly. Next, a “googleassistant” directory was needed in order to store the
OAuth 2.0 Credentials in a .json format. Then, I installed the Python 3 Virtual Environment, which needed to be activated in order to install and authenticate the Google Assistant Library. This was accomplished by using the “pip” and “setuptools” packages. More specifically, the “google- oauthlib-tool” generated a URL used to obtain an authentication code that links and saves your
Google Credentials on your Raspberry Pi. The last part of the configuration required a lengthy command that brought the Raspberry Pi AI Assistant to life. This command was as follows:
“googlesamples-assistant-pushtotalk –project-id
(“Building Your Own Raspberry Pi Google Assistant.”). Then, by pressing “Enter,” the assistant was able to listen for voice commands through the USB microphone.
Once the Raspberry Pi AI Assistant was activated, next came the execution. This process was a lot simpler in that it only requires a couple commands to get the assistant up and running. 5
Opening a new terminal window and using the command “source env/bin/activate” got the Python
3 Environment back up and running. Then, the command “googlesamples-assistant-pushtotalk,” a shortened version of the one used in the configuration process, was used to finally execute the
Raspberry Pi AI Assistant which was now able to accept tasks.
In conclusion, the Raspberry Pi can be used to create many different useful technologies.
And most of all, it can be a very educational tool for people experimenting with things pertaining to Computer Science. In my case, I used multiple different sources in order to further educate myself on the topic of Artificial Intelligence and to also help me learn how to use my Raspberry
Pi in order to create my own Google Home, which I refer to as my Raspberry Pi AI Assistant.
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References
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