Update 2025-03-02-building-your-own-ai-and-e-ink-powered-art-gallery-local.md

Author: charnley

_drafts/2025-03-02-building-your-own-ai-and-e-ink-powered-art-gallery-local.md

@@ -8,67 +8,39 @@ author: Jimmy & Peter
 
 ![E-ink with AI art ESP32 home assistant based]({{ site.baseurl }}/assets/images/eink_art/eink_art_framed_filter.jpg)
 
-- [ ] TODO: insert images of the frame, front and back, with a gif for when it changes the image to show what it can do.
-- [ ] TODO: explain what it is before why
-- [ ] TODO: performance expectations( image fresh, battery life)
-- [ ] TODO: cost
-- [ ] TODO: Hardware for the product
-- [ ] TODO: software for the product
-- [ ] TODO: tools to get it done, need to have, and nice to have category
-- [ ] TODO: skill required on the hardware side
-- [ ] TODO: skill required on the software side
-
-
 We build a **E-ink** picture **ESP32** frame that displays a new artwork every morning, generated by **local AI diffusion model**.
 The content changes daily, so each day brings a completely new and random image to enjoy.
 Everything is run locally on our network, ensuring the process is private and keeping everything off the cloud.
-It's straightforward to have dynamic, AI-generated art on your walls without compromising privacy.
+Having dynamic, AI-generated art on your walls is straightforward without compromising privacy.
 This setup naturally extends our Home Assistant smart home setup, which hosts the image server and monitors the ESP32s.
 
-TODO Insert 
+TODO Insert image gif
 
 Want to build your own? Here is the recipe.
 If you want wireless picture frames, you would want to use an ESP32 chip, which requires some soldering.
 You can build it with a Raspberry Pi Zero if you don't want to solder.
 
 TODO Insert image from the backside
 
-- [Overview](#overview)
-- [Shopping List](#shopping-list)
-- [Why E-ink?](#why-e-ink)
-- [Choice of AI art](#choice-of-ai-art)
-- [Choice of dithering](#choice-of-dithering)
-- [Choice of hosting model](#choice-of-hosting-model)
-- [Using ESPHome and ESP32](#using-esphome-and-esp32)
-- [Battery choice](#battery-choice)
-- [3D printed backside?](#3d-printed-backside)
-- [Bring it all together](#bring-it-all-together)
-- [Note on the next version](#note-on-the-next-version)
-- [References](#references)
-
-## Requirements
+## Hardware Requirements
 
 You will need
 
-- A computer with a relatively good graphics card
+- A computer with a relatively good graphics card, to generate AI images
 - E-ink screen and e-ink screen HAT
-- if battery-based; ESP32 and LIPO battery
-- if wire-based; Raspberry Pi zero
-- Optionally, a raspberry Pi to host an image server
+- if wireless/battery-based; an ESP32 chip and LiPo battery
+- if wire-based/non-soldering, a Raspberry Pi Zero
+- Optionally, a Raspberry Pi 5 to host an image server
 
-and you will need to be comfotrable with
+And you will need to be comfortable with
 
-- Python programming
-- Basic Linux skills
+- Python Programming
+- Basic Linux skills (shell)
 - Soldering
 
-Using a Raspberry Pi Zero for the picture frame is prefered because of the dimensions of the device.
-
-For choice of ESP32, you need PSRAM to be able to download images over the WiFi
-
-It also depends on where you want to shop
+A Raspberry Pi Zero is preferred for the picture frame because of its dimensions, but any Raspberry Pi will work.
 
-check TODO page for overview of ESP32's supported by ESPHome
+> **IMPORTANT**: When shopping for ESP32, if you want to download images over Wi-Fi/the internet via ESPHome, you need a chipset with PSRAM, which is an external memory module allocated to one of the GPIO pins. The WiFi image downloader module needs this extra memory.
 
 
 | Item | Product Link |
@@ -81,17 +53,21 @@ check TODO page for overview of ESP32's supported by ESPHome
 
 Estimated total cost per frame $$\approx 200 \text{ EUR}$$ + physical frame.
 
-When shopping, try to avoid Amazon.
-If you are swiss based, checkout [bastelgarage.ch](https://www.bastelgarage.ch).
+The choice of ESP32 was made by browsing [https://registry.platformio.org/platforms/platformio/espressif32/boards?version=5.3.0](https://registry.platformio.org/platforms/platformio/espressif32/boards?version=5.3.0) for compatible devices. The version is locked to 5.3.0 because, as of the time of writing, ESPHome uses `platformio=5.3.0'. However, the only main requirement is that the ESP32 needs PSRAM to download the PNG image over WiFi.
 
+Could you try to avoid Amazon when shopping? If you are Swiss-based, check out [bastelgarage.ch](https://www.bastelgarage.ch).
+But you can find a small shop in your country that sells most components.
+Unfortunately, we couldn't find a supplier that sells the [Waveshare 13.3" black/white e-ink display](https://amzn.to/4im9Wjj), so we ordered it via Amazon.
 
-## Infrastructure overview
+## Software/Service Overview
+
+To organize everything smoothly and easily manipulate the workflow, we split the tasks into three sections: generating images, storing images, and displaying images.
+We use our desktop computer with a graphics card to generate images, either live or as a scheduled job.
+We both implemented different versions of the workflow; you can find Jimmy's at [github.com/charnley/eink_art_gallery](https://github.com/charnley/eink_art_gallery) and Peter's at [github.com/pgericson/eink-hub](https://github.com/pgericson/eink-hub).
 
 ```mermaid
 graph LR
 
-    %% start --> stop
-
     subgraph Desktop [Desktop Computer]
     direction RL
     gpucron@{ shape: rounded, label: "Cron job" }
@@ -128,12 +104,14 @@ graph LR
     class pictures,HA,Desktop,esp32,rpi ParentGraph
 ```
 
-The workflow is as following;
+The workflow is as follows;
 
-- The **picture server** holds a list of prompts, with associated pictures, stored in a sqlite database. For our setup this is hosted on Home Assistant, but could be any docker hosting service.
-- Every night the **desktop computer** asks the picture server if there any prompts without a images. For all those prompts, generate new images with the GPU and send them to the picture server.
-- The picture frames run by **ESP32** will then run on a sleep schdule. Wake up, request a picture, display the picture and go back to sleep.
-- For live updates, like alarms that it is going to rain, the picture server can send a messeage to the **Raspberry Pi** and make a live update.
+- The **picture server** holds a list of AI prompts, each with associated pictures, stored in a SQLite database. For our setup, this is hosted on Home Assistant, but it could be any docker hosting service.
+- Every night, the **desktop computer** asks the picture server if there are any prompts without images. For all those prompts, the desktop computer generates new images and sends them to the picture server.
+- The picture frame(s) run by **ESP32** will run on a sleep schedule for 24h, waking up at 4 am. Wake up, request a picture, display the picture and go back to sleep.
+- The picture frame(s) run by **Raspberry Pi** will host an API for displaying images, which means you can send live notifications/images to that frame.
+
+Overall, the services works very nicely together and can be adopted to one personal needs.
 
 ## Why E-ink?
 
@@ -574,6 +552,8 @@ It was expensive, but worth it for the final touch.
 - Auto AI generated prompts based on themes and events
 - Generate AI art of your friends when they visit
 - Home Assistant updates the timer and picture url from variables
+- Home Assistant can send notification, such as weather or ski
+- Better infographics, such as weather in local area
 
 ## Known issues
 
@@ -593,6 +573,16 @@ It was expensive, but worth it for the final touch.
 ## Thanks
 
 Ananda for providing answers when stuck.
-Kristoffer for proof-reading.
+Kristoffer for proofreading.
+
 
 
+- [ ] TODO: insert images of the frame, front and back, with a gif for when it changes the image to show what it can do.
+- [ ] TODO: explain what it is before why
+- [ ] TODO: performance expectations( image fresh, battery life)
+- [ ] TODO: cost
+- [ ] TODO: Hardware for the product
+- [ ] TODO: software for the product
+- [ ] TODO: tools to get it done, need to have, and nice to have category
+- [ ] TODO: skill required on the hardware side
+- [ ] TODO: skill required on the software side