Home projects are becoming more popular. And one of the keys to that success is Hardware Libre. Thus, thanks to boards like Raspberry Pi or Arduino we can revive gadgets such as an old television, a radio or an old intercom from the 80s. The latter is what MisterM has done, a user maker who has given a new use to the Google AIY Kit that he launched months ago with MagPi magazine.
This kit that recently came to us has allowed an old intercom to have a second life but also for users to have Google Assistant at home with which to talk, search for data or even listen to the radio.
We can recreate the project at home thanks to the Instructables website, where the project is hosted and the guide to have an intercom from the 80s. In essence, the project is not very different from other projects that reuse old gadgets. The intercom is opened, the electronics are emptied and replaced by a Raspberry Pi board with a battery and Google Assistant software.
Then that plate is connected to the microphone and speaker of the intercom. Any old model of intercom can be updated with this project and instead of an old Raspberry Pi, we can use the latest model, thus obtaining a wireless intercom that does not need any cable or to do works for its installation.
But, since we use Raspberry Pi, the intercom can be customized and instead of using Google Assistant, we can use Alexa or Cortana to perform these functions and even to connect with other applications or services. These types of projects are becoming easier and that means that any novice user can build it and have a smart speaker or an old intercom.