Redditor Tsixom Builds $30 AI Wristwatch Assistant Using Cloud APIs
Updated
Updated · Hackster.io · May 29
Redditor Tsixom Builds $30 AI Wristwatch Assistant Using Cloud APIs
1 articles · Updated · Hackster.io · May 29
$30 is enough for Tsixom’s always-ready AI assistant: a wristwatch built on a Waveshare ESP32-S3 board that answers questions with a button tap instead of a phone app.
The watch relies on Wi-Fi and cloud services because the ESP32-S3 cannot run a language model locally; it records voice, sends audio for transcription, then forwards text to an AI model.
A 2.06-inch AMOLED touchscreen, microphone and speaker are already built into the hardware, though responses currently appear as text on the 410×502 display.
Tsixom plans to add text-to-speech so replies can play through the speaker, and has published the full source code on GitHub for others to replicate the project.
Can a $30 AI watch truly challenge the smartwatches from giants like Apple and Google?
With AI on our wrist, where is the line between a helpful assistant and a constant monitor?
Will open-source AI gadgets finally unseat the smartphone as our primary digital hub?