Aurora, the Raspberry Pi Smart Assistant

By Robert Ellison. Updated on Saturday, September 13, 2025.

Aurora is an open source smart assistant designed for the Raspberry Pi and functional on Windows, Mac and anything else that can run Python.

Aurora uses the OpenAI realtime API, and is pretty similar to the advanced voice mode in ChatGPT. The idea is a replacement for Amazon Alexa and Google Home that anyone can build and extend.

I have had this running for nearly a year. It was functional but the code was a mess. OpenAI just promoted their realtime API from beta, and that prompted me to refactor the project and get it into shape for a public release.

While Amazon is slowly rolling out an LLM version of Alexa, I'm not buying another device that just wants to show me ads. I also don't want an assistant that has been engineered to minimize costs. Aurora is an exercise in what is possible using the best models available combined with helpful tools.

The project has a plug-in architecture for tool support, so you can pick and choose what makes sense. This first release supports timers, Perplexity Sonar, Todoist and a kid conflict resolution system that in my house is known as 'cheese night'. I'll be adding more tools over time, and the architecture makes it easy to contribute (please do!).

When I first designed Aurora I used an Adafruit BrainCraft HAT which has a small display and some nice LEDs. This combined with a Raspberry Pi 4 and a couple of speakers makes for a compact assistant. The project contains interface code for this specific setup, and also a generic version that will run anywhere. As with tool support the interface can be extended to support other devices.

Check out Aurora on GitHub, contribute if you come up with a cool tool or UI, and please send me a photo if you build an assistant.

Updated 2025-09-13 21:56:

Added support for the Bay Area 511 API to provide arrival times. You configure an agency and stop ID and then can ask 'when is the next L' and get arrival times. This is really useful for me. There is a new tool calling image state for the Raspberry Pi version and times are now poems based on the timer name.

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Annual Android Antics

By Robert Ellison.

Android Then: Why not add a splash of color and personality to the status bar?

Android Now: I see a red door and I want it painted black. / No colors anymore, I want them to turn black...

Some people have to go to the doctor for a heart stress test. I just upgrade Android apps when Google forces me to. Today was supposed to be a simple exercise in bumping the target framework up to 36 / Android 16. Instead the status bar disappeared.

Google often deprecates things and this time for me it's setting the status bar color. Not the end of the world, but for my app the helpful default is white icons and text on a white background. Apparently if you really, really want to you can fuck around with something called the WindowInsets API but life is too short. I added a version dependent tweak to the status bar and moved on.

Catfood Earth and Fortune for Android are both rolling out over Google Play right now. They have a slightly worse look and feel and zero additional functionality but at least, for now, I'm still allowed to use some international orange in my part of the window. I'm pretty sure the next iteration of Material Design will involve the National Guard somehow.

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ORD SFO

By Robert Ellison. Updated on Saturday, August 23, 2025.

Google Pixel 8 Pro 7mm f1.7 1/550s ISO21

AA1253

Updated 2025-08-23 23:58:

Time lapse of taxi, takeoff and landing. Great Bay Area views on the way in.

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SFO ORD

By Robert Ellison.

Google Pixel 8 Pro 18mm f2.8 1/140s ISO16

AA3130

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Homer

By Robert Ellison.

Timelapse of sunset, moonrise and sunrise from Homer in Alaska.

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Grewingk Glacier

By Robert Ellison. Updated on Saturday, August 2, 2025.

Hike to the Grewingk Glacier in Kachemak Bay State Park. Inaccessible by car, so it's a boat ride from Homer to across the trail and pick you up at the other end. Lots of varied forest and then the glacier is incredible.

Hike starts at: 59.612729, -151.190267. View in Google Earth.

Updated 2025-08-02 18:53:

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Savage Alpine Trail

By Robert Ellison.

One way four mile trail from Savage Campground to Savage River in Denali National Park. There is a free shuttle bus back (and to the entrance area if no parking deeper in the park). This direction is 1,500 fet up and then 1,700 down with the descent in just a mile and a half. Fantastic variety of terrain and scenery.

Hike starts at: 63.715504, -149.254807. View in Google Earth.

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East Fork Toklat River

By Robert Ellison.

Four mile out and back hike along the Toklat River in Denali National Park. No trails in this part of the park, just pick a direction and go. Until a bridge is repaired this is the last stop on the park road bus route.

Hike starts at: 63.558897, -149.794342. View in Google Earth.

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