Breaking Free From Big Tech: Building an Open Source Smart Home

Abstract

In our modern world, smart assistant devices like Amazon Alexa seem to be ever-present. The convenience of these smart devices can be difficult to forego for many consumers, yet many are wary of the potential spyware embedded in these proprietary black boxes. Open-source software has long been the alternative to the big technology companies, and in the home, it can provide a privacy-focused, streamlined smart-home experience. By utilizing open-source technologies, users can customize their own smart-device to rival Alexa without worrying about where their data may end up or who may be tracking them. The implementation presented is an open-source smart assistant that, in the right hands, allows a more tailored smart device experience when compared to the off-the-shelf competitors. Using a Raspberry Pi, it is able to listen and execute commands using entirely open-source software. Connecting arbitrary smart devices to the assistant is simple with the framework provided. However, some aspects of the traditional “smart” experience, such as the AI’s voice and interfacing with other proprietary software, are noticeably impaired. The final device is one ideal for hobbyists and tech enthusiasts, but may be less user-friendly than the off-the-shelf variety.