Knock, Knock! Who’s AI?

When it comes to Internet of Things devices, there have been a lot of hits, and also a lot of misses. The popularity of smart doorbells proves that they are firmly in the former category. And it is no big secret why — people love to be able to see, and even talk with, people that come to their home while they are away. These systems generally allow homeowners to screen visitors before opening the door, monitor when packages arrive, and have peace of mind by knowing that everything is safe and secure while they are away.

A standard smart doorbell was just not going to cut it for Roni Bandini, however. If you have been following his antics, then you know that Bandini does not live in the greatest neighborhood, to put it mildly. He has inconsiderate neighbors that blast loud music in the early hours of the morning, and drunks and criminals that like to hang out on his doorstep. While we certainly feel bad for the difficulties he is experiencing, we also greatly enjoy the gadgets he builds to combat these problems.

Bandini’s latest device uses machine learning and a bit of good old fashioned subterfuge to avoid disturbances, theft, and possibly even worse. He notes that his doorbell rings about ten times per day. Most of the visitors are trying to sell something or other that he does not want, which is just a mild annoyance that might be ignored. But ignoring the doorbell can lead to much worse — people have been known to have their mailbox, door handle, doorbell, and anything else of value stolen by not answering. Worse yet, it sometimes even leads to break-ins.

To combat these problems, Bandini built a smart doorbell especially for the individual that fully expects that a majority of the people at their door intend to do them harm. Called RinGPT, this doorbell automatically responds audibly by asking who is at the door. The visitor’s response is recorded and converted to text. From there, it is sent to him via Telegram, and it is also sent to ChatGPT along with a prompt indicating how it should respond. The response is converted into a spoken voice, which is then played for the visitor.

By using RinGPT, Bandini can automatically send door-to-door salespersons away, while also giving the impression that he is at home to deter potential criminals. The Telegram notifications allow him to intervene, however, if it is actually of importance to him.

The build is fairly simple, with a UNIHIKER single-board computer powering the device, and a Bluetooth speaker and an LED button rounding out the hardware. If you find yourself needing a RinGPT of your own, you might seriously want to consider moving first. But if that’s not an option, Bandini’s project write-up has more details about the build that will help you to get one up and running.