How to Set Up Google Assistant on a Raspberry Pi Zero

Ben
Ben
@benjislab

Integrating Google Assistant with a Raspberry Pi Zero can transform your compact device into a powerful smart home hub. Here's how to set up Google Assistant on your Raspberry Pi Zero, allowing you to leverage voice control and AI capabilities for a wide range of applications.

Equipment Needed

  • Raspberry Pi Zero W (with WiFi)
  • MicroSD card (8 GB or larger)
  • MicroUSB power supply
  • USB microphone or USB sound card with a 3.5mm microphone
  • Speakers or headphones
  • Internet connection
  • Google account

Prepare Your Raspberry Pi

  1. Flash Raspberry Pi OS: Begin by flashing Raspberry Pi OS onto your MicroSD card using software like Raspberry Pi Imager. Select the Lite version since it’s lighter and quicker for this purpose.

  2. Enable SSH: To enable SSH, place a file named ssh (without any extension) onto the boot partition of the SD card before inserting it into your Raspberry Pi Zero.

  3. Configure WiFi: Create a file named wpa_supplicant.conf in the boot partition with the following content, adjusting for your network details:

country=US ctrl_interface=DIR=/var/run/wpa_supplicant GROUP=netdev network={ ssid="YOUR_NETWORK_NAME" psk="YOUR_NETWORK_PASSWORD" key_mgmt=WPA-PSK }

Install Google Assistant SDK

  1. Boot up your Raspberry Pi Zero and connect via SSH.

  2. Install updates:

sudo apt-get  update  sudo apt-get  upgrade
  1. Install Python3 and other dependencies:
sudo apt-get install python3-dev python3-venv
  1. Set up the virtual environment:
python3 -m venv  env  env/bin/python -m pip install --upgrade pip setuptools wheel  sourceenv/bin/activate
  1. Install the Google Assistant SDK:
python -m pip install  --upgrade  google-assistant-sdk[samples]

Configure Google Assistant

  1. Set up a project on the Google Cloud Platform:

    • Go to the Google Cloud Console and create a new project.
    • Enable the Google Assistant API for that project.
    • Create credentials (OAuth client ID) and download the client secret file.

  2. Register the Device Model:

  • Use the googlesamples-assistant-devicetool to register your Raspberry Pi as a model and device:
googlesamples-assistant-devicetool --project-id  your-project-id  register-model --manufacturer  "Assistant SDK developer"  --product-name  "Assistant SDK light"  --type  LIGHT --model your-model-id

  1. Authenticate the Google Assistant:

    • Run the sample code to authenticate:
googlesamples-assistant-pushtotalk --project-id  your-project-id  --device-model-id  your-model-id
  • Follow the instructions to log in with your Google account.

Test Google Assistant

Connect your microphone and speaker to the Raspberry Pi Zero. Run the Google Assistant demo:

googlesamples-assistant-pushtotalk

You can now interact with Google Assistant using your voice.

Conclusion

Setting up Google Assistant on a Raspberry Pi Zero can enhance your projects or create a cost-effective smart home device. This setup provides a great starting point for developing more complex applications with voice interactions at their core. Whether you are a hobbyist looking to experiment with AI or someone interested in smart home technologies, a Raspberry Pi Zero equipped with Google Assistant offers a versatile platform to build upon.