As a long-time user of Home Assistant, I’ve always been impressed by its versatility and potential to improve daily life. Recently, a friend approached me with an intriguing challenge: creating an AI-powered assistant robot to help individuals with ADHD, autism, and other neurodivergent conditions manage their medication schedules. This project has quickly become one of the most rewarding and innovative endeavors I’ve undertaken.
The goal was to develop a portable, user-friendly device that could provide audible reminders for medications, tasks, and calendar appointments. After some brainstorming, I decided to base the project on Home Assistant, leveraging its robust automation capabilities and open-source nature. The result is a small, 3D-printed companion that resembles a cute action figure or stuffed animal, designed to be both functional and appealing.
The device, affectionately named ‘Boo’, uses an M5 Atom Echo with a speaker upgrade and a lithium battery for extended runtime. It interacts with Home Assistant through custom automations, focusing primarily on advanced medication reminders. My fiancé, who has a strict medication schedule requiring full meals before dosing, has been using the prototype at home. Without reminders, their ADHD often leads to missed doses after meals. Boo’s reminders have been a lifesaver, ensuring consistent adherence to the schedule.
While Boo currently lacks full voice command functionality, I’ve implemented a workaround using another M5 Atom Echo as the primary voice assistant, with Boo relaying vocalized outcomes. Looking ahead, I plan to upgrade to a more robust ESP32 to add features like haptic feedback and gesture recognition. Firmware improvements will also enhance LED animations and enable conversational responses.
This project has the potential to make a real difference in the lives of many, and I’m grateful for the support from the Home Assistant community. I’ll continue refining the design and functionality over the coming weeks. For now, I’m excited to share the progress and welcome any suggestions or assistance in achieving our stretch goals for this open-source venture.
Stay tuned for updates, and I hope you enjoy this creative application of Home Assistant technology!