This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.
The original was posted on /r/homeassistant by /u/Thokoop on 2026-07-12 01:13:30+00:00.
Based on a request from a fellow-Redditor I have added a two new features: local knowledge and status led.
You can now add custom pdf, excel or text files to Billy for him to use and process in his responses when applicable for the topic of the conversation. You can add files to different folders which each has it’s own trigger topics, so that Billy knows when to look for which local files.
Status led support makes it possible to have an extra visual indicator on Billy’s status. I thought it’s kind of funny to put it where it’s brain would be but of course you could also put it in the housing itself.
As always you can find the build instructions for free here:
https://github.com/Thokoop/billy-b-assistant
If you have any ideas for extra / new features please feel free to let me know and I’d be happy to look into it!
Other release notes of v2.3.0:
This release also adds local openWakeWord support, alongside the existing Porcupine option. It now adds xAI/Grok as a realtime voice provider to the ui, with provider and model selection now available from the web dashboard.
The web UI has been reorganized into separate pages, with updated navigation and a clearer layout for setup and configuration. Wi-Fi setup is now part of the main web UI, including network scanning, manual SSID entry, Wi-Fi country selection, and an improved onboarding flow
There are also new hardware-related settings for optional WS2812B status LEDs, camera rotation, and microphone gain persistence. The microphone test screen has been improved with live RMS values, rolling average, peak levels, and short recording playback.
A new startup mic pre-buffer should reduce missed speech right after Billy wakes up. There are also reliability fixes for motor GPIO cleanup, mic threshold consistency, repeated camera tool calls, and a double-press button shortcut to stop an active session.