Homebot: A Personal AI Agent for Conversational Home Assistance and Automation
2026-08-03 • Artificial Intelligence
Artificial Intelligence
AI summaryⓘ
The authors created Homebot, an AI assistant that works locally to help with household tasks through voice or text messages. It uses a system that separates general requests from specific conversations, keeping chat messages organized by channel while voice commands start only after a wake word. Homebot also combines speech recognition and talking back to allow hands-free use, managing conversation flow clearly. Its design makes it easy to customize tools and skills for different home needs.
AI agentconversational assistantwake-word detectionspeech recognitiondialogue managementlocal deploymentvoice interactioninstant messagingautomationtool integration
Authors
Shengyuan Ye, Yixin Zhang, Han Liang, Liekang Zeng, Jiangsu Du, Mu Yuan
Abstract
\texttt{Homebot} is a locally deployable AI agent for conversational household assistance and automation. It accepts voice and instant-messaging requests through a shared runtime that combines language-model responses with registered tools and task-specific skills. The design separates common request processing from session ownership: messaging history remains scoped to a channel and chat, whereas voice interaction is bounded by wake-word activation. For hands-free use, \texttt{Homebot} combines local wake-word detection, streaming speech recognition and synthesis, and an explicit dialogue-state protocol for ending, following up, or continuing a conversation. Clear channel, tool, and skill contracts support practical customization for household use.