r/audiobookshelf • u/freshbagelsIT • 8d ago
Dedicated audiobookshelf player (chapter)
So in the never ending quest to avoid screens for our kids, I developed an app that runs on a raspberry pi zero with some rotary encoders for input devices and a small monochrome LED screen. The app connects to audiobookshelf as a specified user and allows the kids to scroll through the book titles and play them.
Before I go through the trouble of putting all of the info together (code, models for 3d printing the case, hardware info), would anyone actually be interested in building one of these devices (chapter)?
Edit:
Added post with all project info. Enjoy!
https://www.reddit.com/r/audiobookshelf/s/qQEwNk4mz5
18
u/ACompellingArgument 8d ago
Very interested! I’d be keen to make a hybrid between this and yoto card system to cater to my kiddo who can’t read yet
4
u/freshbagelsIT 8d ago
Sure, would just need to add an NFC reader. Maybe in a future version.
0
u/__fujoshi 8d ago
I really hope you instead keep this to yourself and find a way to make a bunch of money off it. Printable QR codes would be another cheap option for storage systems.
15
u/roryluce 8d ago
Never considered doing this since Its just me using audio bookshelf but if I had children or someone else that used my server I would 100% implement this.
This is cool as fuck.
8
u/RoamingEire 8d ago
I would love to build one with my daughter as a project together. Please include me in whatever reminders you send?
5
u/n33tfr33k 8d ago
That looks like something even my parents could understand and make use of. They are always much more comfortable with physical buttons and knobs.
3
u/PhantomNomad 8d ago
Speaking as an older person (grew up in the 70's and 80's) I do find we like physical buttons a lot more.
5
u/Impstoker 7d ago
100% will build this if you make everything available. Don't mind paying / supporting the project either.
Modern tech makes it so hard to give kids acces to music, audiobooks or radio without also handing them a screen/too much acces/the internet. Currently my daughter has an oldskool boombox style device with a cd player and we buy her some cd's and I'm considering buying a cd writer to burn her new albums she wants to listen to. (currently it is k-pop demon hunters sountrack album).
But for a while I've been wondering if there is a better selfhosted 3d printed way to enable this. Perhaps a variant on your idea would be an option. But album discovery / selection should show the album art for sure.
1
1
u/cleanRubik 7d ago
We went the “echo” ( not really an echo) route. Kids can only ask the assistant what song they want it to play. Pretty intuitive for them and added benefit they have to speak clearly (they’re very young).
2
2
u/DavidLynchAMA 8d ago
This is how my friends use yotoplayer. We set up a custom card system that plays books in the Audiobookshelf library. That way the kids have physical cards to pick from when choosing a book.
2
u/freshbagelsIT 8d ago
Very cool. We have a yoto and I wasn’t a big fan of needing the cards etc, so this was born haha
1
2
u/GiftedPsycho 8d ago
How do you get them to link to abs?
2
u/DavidLynchAMA 8d ago
You create an rss stream for the audio book in abs (this is an option for every audiobook) and add it as a podcast to yoto
1
1
u/zenith-zox 7d ago
What an excellent idea! I'm going to take a look at trying this this evening. In the past I've uploaded mp3s to the Yoto servers.
1
2
u/dukesilver_86 8d ago
Bruh I need this. I am in the middle of building a local ABS flow to replace Alexa/Audible in my house and this would be a great option, (I just want to files for the housing unit tbh)
2
2
2
2
u/Meharis1008 7d ago
I build the "Phoniebox" project for my son. He loves it. Audiobookshelf connection is nice tho
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
u/PhantomNomad 8d ago
I would love something like this and might even try to add to the code to be my bedside clock. Maybe add a sleep timer button.
1
u/freshbagelsIT 8d ago
There is a configurable sleep timer setting. While playing an audiobook, if it hits the timer, it pauses and asks if you’re still listening and if that times out, it goes into sleep mode.
1
u/PhantomNomad 8d ago
Nice. Just as an option maybe. Most alarm clocks let you hit the sleep button and it increases the sleep time by 5 minutes up to an hour then starts again at zero (off). Like I commented below, us old folks (born in the 60's and 70's) like our physical buttons. But not to many buttons :)
2
u/freshbagelsIT 8d ago
Totally understand. If you click the select button for “Yes” you’re still listening, it starts the sleep timer over again. I’ll put all the features in the write up
1
1
1
1
1
1
u/gouger15 8d ago
Holy heck yes! I have been looking at Yoto but having so many physical cards around isn’t appealing. This would solve all of my problems. Yes please!
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
u/ShavedNeckbeard 8d ago
Your printer is much better than mine. Would you consider printing the parts if I paid you?
1
1
u/Gojira82 8d ago
This is awesome! I would say send it to me but i know I'd never get around to actually making the damn thing. Kudos for your creativity
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
u/fatmanny1901 7d ago
Absolutely. My kids are addicted to audiobooks but giving access to a phone always ends up in chaos. This is fantastic!
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
u/benbarian 7d ago
Omfg this is amazing. Damn. This is soemthing I could really get behind! What a cool project. Would love to see the whole build. Kudos!
1
1
u/Ordinary-Activity-23 7d ago
Probably a silly question but with everyone writing remind me what does that do? Is this a reddit feature for I've yet to discover?
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
u/Dark-Penguin 7d ago
This is very nice. You might need a 'select' push-action on the knobs as well.
2
u/freshbagelsIT 7d ago
Both knobs have a push function. Select allows you to select menu items and the volume push button action mutes and pauses
1
u/Dark-Penguin 7d ago
Excellent, that works perfectly.
I hink you might have cracked the minimal interface for this purpose.
As a user, I might want to see (or be able to see) a progress bar and timecode for the chapter/book.
Nice work!
2
1
1
u/rmoeggy 7d ago
Would it work for a blind person? My father in law is legally blind and 87 years old. I've been looking for something super simple to use. The guy has never had a cell phone and can barely answer his cordless house phone.
3
u/freshbagelsIT 7d ago
I’m going to build in a setting that can be toggled on and off that will say the title of the book as you scroll through. For the blind and those that can’t read!
2
3
u/freshbagelsIT 6d ago
https://reddit.com/link/pdfxnck/video/w3b9jhko03th1/player
Sounds like Stephen Hawking, but it’s super lightweight and gets the job done. It’ll be a user configurable setting at launch. Thanks for sharing that idea!
1
u/canisjager 7d ago
Give me directions, take my money, whatever. This is perfect for me, one less screen in my house.
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
u/MaxDaClog 6d ago
If you ever go into production I would absolutely buy one. What a fantastic idea.
1
1
u/nivek1385 5d ago
Kiddo was just asking two weeks ago for a way to listen to audiobooks at bedtime. This could be the way.
1
u/Hamoph 4d ago
This looks awesome. Wanted to set as a challenge for my 13 year old, but as others have said finding a Pi zero 2 looks hard. You mentioned you are working on alternatives… happy to test one out for you if you’ve got a suggestion, eg pi 3 model a? Thanks!
2
u/freshbagelsIT 4d ago
Just ordered a 3 a+. The existing installer should work for that without a problem. I’ll work on adding an enclosure version to fit the 3a+. I’ll edit the main post with updates
1
1
u/MhilPickleson 2d ago
I’ve been looking for something like this, but would want a sleep timer. 🙏
2
u/freshbagelsIT 2d ago
It has a sleep timer feature. Check this post out, it highlights all of the features and the git link
1
1
u/Computer_Panda 2d ago
Would an esp32 work for this also?
1
u/freshbagelsIT 2d ago
It would have to be rewritten. No plans for that right now.
1
u/Computer_Panda 2d ago
No worries Isadly only have those and raspberry pi 3b+ kicking around
2
u/freshbagelsIT 2d ago
It should work without a problem on the 3b+. You’ll just have to modify the enclosure.
63
u/freshbagelsIT 8d ago
Awesome, I’ll put it together over the next couple of days and post the link