It probably stands to reason that Google did not expect its AIY Voice Kit to sell like hotcakes, but it did. The AIY Voice Kit is a do-it-yourself voice recognition kit for the Raspberry Pi, and to everyone’s surprise (or not), it sold out within just a few hours of being available globally. Google is now making the kit available for pre-order, and should hit store shelves soon.
The AIY Voice Kit is a bundle of elements Raspberry Pi aficionados call a Voice HAT (Hardware Accessory on Top), which includes a microphone board, speaker, components, connectors and cardboard form for easy assembly. You pair this with the Google Assistant SDK and you have yourself a do-it-yourself Google Home.
A lot of developers have been fiddling around with it – Martin Mander and his cool retro project called the “1986 Google Pi Intercom”. It’s not really an intercom, but a Google Home you can activate much like an old school intercom. Tom Minnich – obviously a Dr. Who fan – built for himself a Dalek-voiced assistant.
The question Google is posing to budding developers out there, really, is, “What can you do with the AIY Voice Kit?” The answer seems to be enthralling DIYers of all kinds out there. If you’re interested, you can already pre-order the AIY Voice Kit.
SOURCE: Google
