Plant Science Guide System for Children Based on Xiaozhi AI

1.1 Project Introduction

When visiting a botanical garden, many children are full of curiosity about nature, but traditional plant labels usually show only dry scientific names and taxonomic families, which makes them dull. And when children ask their endless "why" questions, parents often find it hard to answer because they do not have enough knowledge.

To solve this, we created this "Plant Science Guide System for Children Based on Xiaozhi AI". When a child aims HUSKYLENS 2 at a plant for recognition, the device does not only recognize it. It also turns into a lively plant guide named Husky. With the powerful voice interaction of Xiaozhi AI, it vividly explains the plant's name, features, and fun facts, and proactively raises interesting questions that guide children to observe and think.

For children, this is an immersive and fun nature exploration. For the botanical garden management, it not only lowers the cost of human-guided tours, but also plants the seeds of a love for nature and science in the next generation in a technology-filled way.

1.2 Demo Video

2. Project Implementation Principle

Its core logic is as follows: HUSKYLENS 2 handles "recognizing", Xiaozhi AI handles "explaining", and the settings decide "how to explain".
First, in the preparation stage, staff use the "Self-Learning Classification" function of HUSKYLENS 2 to collect plant images and complete the learning, generating a unique ID for each plant. At the same time, they complete the settings in the Xiaozhi console and define the persona of the plant science guide.
In the use stage, aim HUSKYLENS 2 at a plant, and the self-learning classification model on the device runs inference in real time to produce a recognition result. After waking up, Xiaozhi AI actively retrieves the local recognition result and, together with the configured persona, starts explaining and interacting: it introduces the plant name and features and leads the user to closer observation.

3. Hardware and Software Preparation

3.1 Equipment List

Note: The HUSKYLENS version used here is HUSKYLENS 2. In this tutorial, you need to log in to the xiaozhi.me platform from a computer or mobile browser to complete the settings.

3.2 Installing the WiFi Module

1. Unscrew the four screws at the corners of one side of the HUSKYLENS 2 housing.

2. Separate the metal housing from the PCB. At this point, the PCB and the back cover are usually very hard to separate.
Press and hold the button on the PCB, and slowly lift the back cover. Avoid damaging the button and other components on the PCB while forcing it apart.

3. The separated HUSKYLENS PCB and back cover are shown in the figure.

4. Firmly insert the WiFi module into the slot. After it is installed in place, the outermost side of the WiFi module should be nearly flush with the raised structure on the housing. Note: Do not press or pull the conductive foam on the surface of the WiFi module during installation, otherwise the RF performance of the WiFi antenna will be affected.

5. Put the metal housing back and tighten the screws around it.

Note: If the thermal paste is damaged while the metal housing is separated from the PCB, discard the damaged thermal paste and use the spare thermal paste included in the package to cover the chip at the center of the main board again. Make sure to cover the position shown in the figure. If the original thermal paste is not damaged, do not install the spare thermal paste.

4. Project Development

4.1 HUSKYLENS 2 Operation

First, power HUSKYLENS 2 with a USB data cable and wait for the interface to light up, which means the device has started up successfully.

Note: To use the HUSKYLENS 2 Xiaozhi AI, please make sure to update the HUSKYLENS 2 firmware to the latest version.

4.1.1 Connecting to WiFi

1. Open System Settings - WiFi.

2. Turn on the WiFi switch. After a few seconds, the list of WiFi networks that can be scanned nearby is displayed; tap Refresh to refresh the list. If you turn WiFi off while it is on and then turn it on again, you need to wait 30 seconds; WiFi cannot be turned on again within 30 seconds.

3. Tap to select the WiFi network you want to connect to, then enter the password, and tap the check mark at the bottom right when done.

4. Wait for the WiFi connection to succeed. If the connection is not successful after 30 seconds, a pop-up reminder appears and you can choose Retry or Cancel. Tap Cancel to select the network again and enter the password. Please check carefully whether the password is correct and whether the network settings allow an unknown device to connect. If you are sure the password is correct and the network settings are normal, move closer to the hotspot or router and tap Retry. The IP address is displayed after a successful connection.

4.1.2 Starting Xiaozhi AI

1. After the network connection succeeds, find "Xiaozhi AI" in the HUSKYLENS 2 menu and tap to enter.

2. After entering the Xiaozhi AI function, tap the switch button at the bottom to start Xiaozhi AI.

Use the wake word "Hi, Husky" to wake up Xiaozhi AI on HUSKYLENS 2 and get the activation code.

As shown below, a string of activation code is displayed on the screen. Please write down or keep this activation code, because you will need it when binding the device later.

Tip: If activation is unsuccessful and no activation code appears, check whether HUSKYLENS 2 has connected to the WiFi network successfully, and then enter the Xiaozhi AI function again.

After binding, you can wake up Xiaozhi AI on HUSKYLENS 2 with the wake word "Hi, Husky" and talk to it directly.
For more detailed usage of HUSKYLENS 2, see the following website:
Gravity: HUSKYLENS 2 - 6 TOPS LLM MCP AI Vision Sensor (20+ Models, Deploy Custom Models) | DFRobot Wiki

4.2 Xiaozhi AI Platform Configuration

Next, use a computer or mobile browser to complete the remaining steps. Please follow the steps below:
1. Open the browser on your computer or phone.
2. Enter xiaozhi.me in the address bar to access the Xiaozhi console.

3. Click "Console" on the page. For the first login, you need to enter your mobile phone number and complete the login after obtaining the SMS verification code.

4. Bind the device

When you use the Xiaozhi AI function of HUSKYLENS 2 for the first time, you need to bind the device to your account. Enter the activation code displayed on the HUSKYLENS 2 screen in the Xiaozhi console (see 4.1.2) to complete the device binding.
Tip: Binding is only needed once. In later use, just enter the Xiaozhi AI function on HUSKYLENS 2 and turn on the switch, and the device connects automatically without binding again.

After successful binding, your HUSKYLENS 2 device appears in the device list of the console.

Now we can click Configure to set the agent personality, so that it better fits the actual use scenario of a botanical garden guide.

Part of the prompt is shown below. For the complete prompt, see the attachment.

*After modifying the configuration and clicking “Save”, power cycle HUSKYLENS 2 for the updated configuration to take effect.*

For detailed tutorials on more Xiaozhi features, see: Click here to learn more

5. Project Operation and Demonstration

5.1 Learning Plant Information

First, after the preparation work is done, the botanical garden staff say "Hello, Husky" to wake up Xiaozhi AI by voice.

Then say to Husky, "Open Self-Learning Classification mode." Husky reports the result and prompts us for the next step.

Then aim the HUSKYLENS 2 camera at the plant and learn it by voice, naming it "Snake Plant".

Once the plant is learned, you can let Husky introduce the plant to children and have fun interactions.

5.2 Interactive Demonstration

6. Attachment List