ESP32 AI Pendant with Camera and Voice Assistant

In this project, I built a wearable AI pendant using the Seeed Studio XIAO ESP32S3 Sense and Xiaozhi firmware. The device combines voice interaction, camera support, audio playback, RGB lighting, and Wi-Fi connectivity in a compact wearable form factor.

The goal was to create a simple sci-fi inspired AI wearable using affordable hardware and open-source software.

Features

• Voice interaction using the onboard microphone
• AI voice responses through a speaker
• Camera support for visual AI features
• NeoPixel ring for status effectsRechargeable LiPo battery power
• Compact 3D printed enclosure

How It Works

The XIAO ESP32S3 Sense handles Wi-Fi communication, audio capture, LED control, and interaction with the Xiaozhi AI backend. User can just say "Hi ESP" or "Jarvis" to start the conversation with the AI.

Hardware Used

• Seeed Studio XIAO ESP32S3 Sense
• I2S amplifier module
• 0.5W speaker
• WS2812 NeoPixel ring
• LiPo battery
• Slide switch

Enclosure Design

The pendant was designed to look more like a wearable product rather than an exposed electronics prototype.

Instead of using a display, I used a NeoPixel ring behind a translucent diffuser for visual feedback. This helped keep the design compact while also improving battery life.The enclosure was designed for 3D printing and sized to fit all components in a small wearable form factor.

ChallengesThe main challenges were power consumption, audio integration, and fitting all the hardware into a compact enclosure.Speaker playback and Wi-Fi activity consume the most power, so brightness and audio levels had to be tuned carefully for better battery life.

Final ThoughtsThis project demonstrates how compact and capable modern ESP32 boards have become for AI-connected wearable devices.While the AI processing itself happens in the cloud, the ESP32 handles all of the audio, networking, lighting, and hardware interaction needed to create a practical wearable AI interface.