Anyone who has seen 2001: A Space Odyssey easily remembers HAL 9000, the sentient computer that turned against its human companions aboard Spacecraft Discovery One. [Ben Brooks] decided to recreate the ominous digital creature and put it to work as a smart home assistant.
The build consists of a 3D printed whole very similar to HAL in the movie. It works as a standalone device connected to [Ben]’s Home Assistant instance, a self-hosted home automation solution. The device can play sound clips from the movie, using an ESP8266 and a DF Player Mini module. It’s activated by a button or motion sensor, but it’s also hooked up to Home Assistant for some extra smarts. This arrangement ensures that HAL remains silent when a Chromecast is playing content on TV, so as not to disrupt essential playback.
Overall, it’s a fun movie tribute that’s remarkably faithful to the source material. Let’s hope this HAL doesn’t get maniacal ideas, compelling [Ben] to take apart his processor to stop his dangerous machinations.
We’ve seen some other great HAL builds as well. Video after the break.
This post 2022 Sci-Fi Competition: Your Home Assistant, HAL 9000
was original published at “https://hackaday.com/2022/04/23/2022-sci-fi-contest-your-home-assistant-hal-9000/”
