4.0

🚀 RELEASE v4.0: TARS V2, Hardware Overhaul & Smarter AI Features!
The TARS-AI 4.0 release introduces a major leap forward with TARS V2 hardware, improved AI responsiveness, advanced battery monitoring, enhanced UI controls, and numerous 3D design refinements. This is the most feature-complete TARS-AI version to date, blending faster neural processing with smarter integrations and a fully reworked mechanical design.

🔥 Main Highlights
TARS V2 Hardware Upgrade
New main leg mounts and mechanical refinements for better stability.
Static TARS case option (no motors) and updated design without heat inserts.
Fixed lid clearance issues with the camera and speaker mounts.
Hybrid RAG & Neural Net Enhancements
Significantly faster Hybrid RAG response times.
Integrated neural net support for smarter motion control and decision-making.
UI & Web Interface Upgrades
New motion control tab in ChatUI for seamless real-time control.
Refined UI font sizes, fullscreen toggle, and better overall visual polish.
Battery & Power Monitoring
INA260-based battery support for real-time voltage and current tracking.
FPS variable for smoother display and control updates.

🔥 New Features & Upgrades
Azure Voice Modifications: Enhanced voice synthesis and flexibility.
OpenAI TTS Option: Additional TTS engine choice for customizable voices.
Config.ini Improvements: Toggle camera directly from configuration settings.
3D CAD Files: Added TARS CAD STEP file and corrections to printed parts.

⚙️ Technical & Performance Improvements
Fixed 90° and 270° rotation issues with the new layout logic.
Optimized engine and BT controller modules for smoother performance.
Numerous 3D print corrections and incremental V2 updates for reliability.

🔄 What’s Changed
Added image to README by @mossed1
Merged development into main branch by @pyrater
Improved Hybrid RAG response and Picovoice support by @latishab
UI improvements and motion control tab by @pyrater & @atomikspace
Font size fixes, fullscreen toggle, and camera config toggle by @atomikspace
Battery monitoring via INA260 by @atomikspace
TARS V2 hardware updates and multiple 3D print corrections by @atomikspace
Azure voice modifications and OpenAI TTS option by @atomikspace
Fixed JSON output format for movement LLM calls by @Autosuffisant
Fixed lid clearance issues with camera and speaker mount by @mossed1
Updated engine and BT controller modules by @mossed1

🎉 New Contributors
@mossed1 made their first contribution
@Autosuffisant made their first contribution
Special thanks to @atomikspace as he as done an extreme amount of heavy lifting (most of the changes) to get the V2 rework out the door.

📜 Full Changelog: 3.0 → 4.0
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3.0

🚀 RELEASE v3.0: Faster, Smarter, and Now With a Fancy WebUI!
The TARS-AI 3.0 release brings a massive overhaul with improved speech capabilities, a sleek new chat WebUI, better memory handling, and countless refinements. This is the most powerful and user-configurable version of TARS-AI yet.

🔥 Main Highlights
Text-to-Speech (TTS) & Speech-to-Text (STT) Overhaul
Refactored TTS and STT for better efficiency and flexibility.
Added Eleven Labs TTS for high-quality voice synthesis.
Integrated Silero VAD (Voice Activity Detection) for smarter audio processing.
DEEPINFRA LLM option added.
TTS now streams per sentence in chunks, making responses significantly faster.

🔥 New Features & Upgrades
Chat WebUI: Fully interactive web-based chat interface for easier communication.
Expanded User Configuration: More settings added to config.ini for deeper customization.
Message Queue System: Terminal now processes messages more efficiently with queuing.
Memory / RAG Enhancements: Upgraded retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) from Latisha, making long-term recall more accurate and fluid.
Wiki Created: Comprehensive documentation for setup, features, and customization.

🔥 File & Structure Improvements
Reorganized and updated 3D files for better organization.
Updated Character Card: More options for defining character traits and personalities.

⚙️ Technical & Performance Improvements
Faster Response Time: TTS chunked streaming greatly reduces lag.
Bug Fixes Galore: Squashed countless bugs for a smoother experience.
Optimized Memory Handling: Smarter memory system improves both speed and accuracy.
Refactored Codebase: Cleaner, more maintainable structure across core modules.

🔄 What's Changed
Added Eleven Labs TTS by @latishab
Added DEEPINFRA LLM by @latishab
Integrated Silero VAD by @latishab
Implemented Chat WebUI by @pyrater
Refactored TTS & STT pipeline by @pyrater
Improved RAG Memory from Latisha by @latishab
Message Queue System for Terminal by @pyrater
Updated and reorganized 3D files by @pyrater
Created Wiki for Documentation by @latishab
Readme Updates by @mossed1

🎉 New Contributors
@pyrater made their first contribution
@xanomanox made their first contribution
@DaftNinja made their first contribution
@mspierg made their first contribution
@holmesha made their first contribution
@BiosUp made their first contribution
@latishab many updates merged by pyrater.

📜 Full Changelog: 2.0 → 3.0
👉 View All Commits

Get ready for the fastest, smartest, and most customizable version of TARS-AI yet! 🚀

RELEASE v2.0: Now with 100% more sarcasm and 0% chances of docking mishaps!

TARS-AI 2.0 Development Branch Update

The TARS-AI 2.0 development branch introduces several enhancements over the initial 1.0 release, including:

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🚀 Core Additions

Speech-to-Text (STT) Enhancements:

• Integrated Whisper for local STT alongside Vosk and external server options.
• Added STT sensitivity configuration for improved accuracy.
• Comprehensive improvements to the STT system for better transcription.
• Significant speed improvements.
• Dynamic microphone quality selection based on hardware.

Character Customizations:

• Persistent personality settings (e.g., humor and tone) for dynamic character interaction.
• Expanded character settings and behavior customization options.

Function Calling:

• Dual methods for function calls: Naive Bayes (NB) and LLM-based approaches.

Voice-Controlled Movement:

• Enabled voice commands to control robotic movements with precise mapping.

Image Generation:

• Integrated DALL·E and Stable Diffusion for AI-powered image creation.

Volume Control:

• Fine-tuned volume adjustments through both voice commands and external configurations. Credit: @MSKULL

Home Assistant Integration:

• Seamless connection with smart home systems.

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⚙️ Technical Improvements

• Reworked LLM function into its own module.
• Reworked LLM function to be compatible with thinking models (Deepseek R1).
• Reworked build prompt function for easy importing.
• Reworked memory module to ensure correct prompt and memory management.
• Reworked tokenization for proper counts.
• Renamed STL files for better readability.
• Many fixes and tweaks for better usability.
• Over 196 commits.

Override Encoding Model:

• Enhanced compatibility with models using override_encoding_model.

TTS Fixes:

• Resolved issues with special characters in Text-to-Speech.

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What's Changed

• Update config.ini.template by @DaftNinja in https://github.com/pyrater/TARS-AI/pull/3
• V9-misc-mods by @xanomanox in https://github.com/pyrater/TARS-AI/pull/4
• add M3 grub screws to fasteners by @xanomanox in https://github.com/pyrater/TARS-AI/pull/5
• updated parts list (in progress) by @xanomanox in https://github.com/pyrater/TARS-AI/pull/6
• Feature/volume by @mspierg in https://github.com/pyrater/TARS-AI/pull/8
• Update training_data.csv by @holmesha in https://github.com/pyrater/TARS-AI/pull/10
• Dev by @holmesha in https://github.com/pyrater/TARS-AI/pull/11
• added openai to requirements.txt by @BiosUp in https://github.com/pyrater/TARS-AI/pull/12

New Contributors

• @DaftNinja made their first contribution in https://github.com/pyrater/TARS-AI/pull/3
• @xanomanox made their first contribution in https://github.com/pyrater/TARS-AI/pull/4
• @mspierg made their first contribution in https://github.com/pyrater/TARS-AI/pull/8
• @holmesha made their first contribution in https://github.com/pyrater/TARS-AI/pull/10
• @BiosUp made their first contribution in https://github.com/pyrater/TARS-AI/pull/12

Full Changelog: pyrater/TARS-AI@1.0...2.0

RELEASE v1.0: Hello World, Hello TARS!

Version: TARS-AI 1.0

We are thrilled to announce the official release of TARS-AI 1.0, the first version of our highly anticipated intelligent assistant designed for local deployment, inspired by the iconic TARS robot from Interstellar. This marks a significant step toward integrating advanced AI capabilities into personalized, everyday tasks while maintaining privacy and security.

Key Features
Fully Localized AI

Runs entirely on local hardware, ensuring data privacy and independence from cloud services.
TARS Personality Integration

TARS-AI embodies the humor, utility, and wit of the original TARS character, making interactions not just efficient but also engaging.
Modular Design

Supports a variety of modules, including natural language understanding, task automation, and information retrieval, all customizable to your specific needs.
Real-Time Interaction

Provides dynamic, context-aware responses, allowing seamless conversational experiences.
Expandable Hardware Integration

Easily integrates with external sensors, actuators, and robotics systems, opening doors to home automation, robotics, and more.
Configurable AI Ethics and Humor Levels

Adjust personality traits like humor and honesty to tailor TARS-AI to your preferences.
Developer-Friendly Framework

Built with an open API and extensive documentation, enabling developers to add custom functionalities effortlessly.

What's Changed

• RELEASE v1.0: Hello World, Hello TARS! by @alexander-wang03 in https://github.com/pyrater/TARS-AI/pull/1
• ENVSETUP.md Azure TTS Instructions Update by @alexander-wang03 in https://github.com/pyrater/TARS-AI/pull/2

New Contributors

• @alexander-wang03 made their first contribution in https://github.com/pyrater/TARS-AI/pull/1

Full Changelog: https://github.com/pyrater/TARS-AI/commits/1.0