Speaking clock

Speaking Clock – Open Source Talking Clock for Visually Impaired Users

This repository contains an open-source talking clock designed for visually impaired and elderly users.

The device announces the current time at the press of a button.
If the button is pressed a second time within a short time window, it also announces the date.

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🎬 Demo Video

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📢 Native English speaker wanted!
Help improve the English voice output of this project → see below.

🔀 Hardware Versions

This project exists in two different hardware implementations:

🔹 Breakout Version (V1)

The original design based on breakout modules mounted on a carrier PCB.
This version is well suited for prototyping and easy assembly.

👉 Build instructions:
building_instructions_breakout_v1.md

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🔹 Integrated PCB Version (V2)

A newer design with all electronics integrated on a single custom PCB.
This version is more compact, robust, and optimized for practical use.

👉 Build instructions:
building_instructions_integrated_v2.md

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🧩 Project Overview

Both versions share the same core functionality:

• Audio time announcement
• Simple and accessible user interface
• Fully offline operation (no internet required)
• Low power consumption
• Battery-powered design

The system is based on an ESP32-S3 microcontroller, uses a DS3231 real-time clock for accurate timekeeping, and plays pre-generated audio files via an I2S amplifier and speaker.

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🛠 Development

The firmware was developed using Visual Studio Code [blocked] together with the PlatformIO [blocked] extension.

When uploading the firmware to the device, make sure to upload:

• the main firmware (program code)
• the LittleFS filesystem (audio data)

Both steps are required for correct operation.

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🔊 Audio Files & Licensing

The speaking clock uses pre-recorded audio files to generate time and date announcements.

• The German audio files were recorded manually for this project.
• The English audio files were generated using a text-to-speech service (ttsMP3.com).

According to the ttsMP3 FAQ, these generated audio files may be used in both personal and commercial projects without restriction: https://ttsmp3.com/faq

The repository contains only the generated audio files, not the TTS software or voices themselves.

These audio files can therefore be:

• Used in personal projects
• Used in commercial projects
• Shared and redistributed as part of other projects

Note: If you use this project, please verify the current licensing terms of ttsMP3.com to ensure ongoing compliance.

📢 Looking for a Native English Speaker

To improve the quality of the English time announcements, I am looking for a native English speaker who would be willing to record the audio prompts for this project.

The current English audio files are computer-generated and sound less natural than the manually recorded German version.

🎤 What is needed:

• Clear and natural voice recordings
• Short phrases (numbers, time expressions, weekdays, etc.)
• Consistent pronunciation and pacing

📄 Requirements:

• The recordings must be provided free of charge
• They must be license-free or released for unrestricted use (including commercial use)
• The contributor agrees that the recordings can be included in this open-source project

🙏 This would significantly improve the usability and user experience of the English version of the talking clock.

If you are interested in contributing, please open an issue or contact me via GitHub.