1980s Radio Shack Intercom Updated with a Raspberry Pi and Google AIY
In a scenario that is perhaps analogous to some questionable IoT devices today, many homes in the mid-1980s were equipped with intercom…
In a scenario that is perhaps analogous to some questionable IoT devices today, many homes in the mid-1980s were equipped with intercom systems. Sure, a 1500-square-foot house isn’t a mansion, but who has time to walk to the next room when you can just press a button? Though now mostly curiosities, that didn’t stop hacker Martin Mander from purchasing a 1986 vintage Radio Shack intercom for a mere £4 and installing it in his home.
Installing it, that is, with an important update. He ripped out the guts of this vintage unit and embedded a Raspberry Pi with the Google AIY HAT attached. While no longer functional for its original purpose, with the touch of a button it can now answer questions, tell jokes, or even perform home automation tasks like turning on and off a doll house!
You can find more details on Mander’s build here, and check out a demo of it below!