Firmware for EchoEar · Voice companion

VoCat

Firmware that turns your EchoEar into a small, cat-shaped companion with a round animated face. Kids talk to it, play with it, and it reacts to touch and movement. Parents stay in control of the setup.

OpenAI Realtime
Google Gemini Live
Home Assistant
ESP32‑S3

See what it does Parent setup

An EchoEar running VoCat, with a heart-eyed face on its round screen — VoCat firmware running on an EchoEar

Firmware only

You get a binary. You flash it to your EchoEar.

VoCat is software, not a device. What we sell is the firmware: a .bin file that you flash onto an EchoEar you already own. The EchoEar itself is not included.

Get the binaryThe VoCat firmware, as a .bin file.
Flash it to your EchoEarReplaces the stock firmware with VoCat.
Set it up in your browserWi‑Fi, AI agent and Home Assistant, protected by a PIN.

After the first flash, updates are wireless from the same web page.

Talks backNatural, real-time voice chat

Runs your homeLights, shutters and weather via Home Assistant

Full of personalityPurrs at petting, gets dizzy when shaken

Parent-proofPIN-protected setup in any browser

A voice AI companion

Kids just talk to it: ask questions, hear stories, chat, learn. Conversations run in real time, powered by OpenAI (Realtime API) or Google Gemini (Live). The family picks the AI they prefer from the settings, and can switch at any time.

Bring your own OpenAI or Gemini API key; keys are stored on the cat and never shown again.
The face follows the conversation: listening, thinking, speaking.
Gemini Live support is currently marked experimental.

Smart home control with Home Assistant

Say “open the shutters” or “turn on the lights” and VoCat does it. It also shows the weather from a Home Assistant sensor, with the next hours at a glance.

Controls lights, rollers, blinds and shades by voice.
Weather and the two shutters are Home Assistant entities you can change from the web page, with sensible defaults.
Optional MQTT announces the device to Home Assistant automatically.
Your Home Assistant token is saved only on the cat and is never sent to the voice agent.

VoCat weather screen showing partly cloudy and the next four hours — Weather

VoCat shutters screen with two windows and their positions — Shutters

VoCat shutter control with open, stop and close buttons — Shutter control

Made for kids, full of personality

Pet it and it enjoys it. Shake it and it gets dizzy. Pick it up or turn it upside down and the face reacts and flips to match. It has a head touch sensor and a motion sensor, so play feels natural.

Caress the device and floating hearts appear.
Shake it and the eyes swirl.
Lift or flip it and the face turns the right way up.
Choose between 3 animated faces.

Face style one: round eyes and blush — Round

Face style two: pill-shaped blue eyes — Pill

Face style three: eyes with green irises — Iris

An everyday helper

Timers, a clock and wake-up alarms, all by voice or a tap on the screen.

Timers: ask by voice and it counts down, then alerts with sound and animation. Good for cooking, homework, tooth brushing and playtime.
Clock: shows the time on screen whenever you want it.
Alarm: set a wake-up alarm; it shows next to the face.

VoCat with a timer ring and an alarm chip — Timer and alarm

VoCat showing the clock, an alarm and a timer together — Clock too

VoCat menu with timer, alarm, clock, touch game and settings — Menu

Easy setup and control for parents

VoCat has a built-in web page you open from any browser on your home network. No app, no account.

Wi‑Fi, AI agent, Home Assistant connection, entities and MQTT are all set up from the browser.
Protected by a PIN, so kids cannot change settings.
On the device, brightness, volume, language and agent are a swipe away; the factory reset needs a 3-second press and hold.
Eight languages: English, Romanian, German, Spanish, French, Italian, Dutch and Portuguese.

VoCat language list with English selected — Language

Always up to date

Firmware updates are wireless (OTA) from the same web page: no cables, no tools. Pick the file, enter the PIN and install. The cat restarts on its own, and your saved sounds and data stay put.