bot and phone icon by sobinsergey at The Noun Project
bot and phone icon by sobinsergey at The Noun Project
The Answermator is a device that fulfills the role of an answering machine while also laying the groundwork for home automation features. It protects the owner's privacy by not relying on data tracking services and will never send captured data to outside companies.
A Raspberry Pi attached to a USRobotics USR5637 USB Modem serves as the core of the device, which can be connected to a landline and the user's phone. The Pi is the main user interface, with the user's phone as a secondary interface. To install it yourself or look at the code, follow the instructions on Github.
How is the Answermator different from a regular phone?
The Answermator is not a phone - it is a device that can fulfill the role of a landline phone answering machine, but also provides a framework for you to hook it into home automation systems, all while protecting your privacy! It is easy to configure and customize.
What functionality features does the Answermator offer?
With the Answermator, logging calls, storing familiar contacts in a phonebook and recognizing them when they call, and blocking unwanted phone numbers are all simple-to-use features that come prepackaged in the software. You can turn on Do Not Disturb mode when you don't want any calls to ring through, but you can also still allow calls from favorite contacts!
How can I customize the Answermator?
The Answermator is able to recognize scripts that you write which are activated by touch tones - simply associate a set of touch tones to whatever functions you desire and put it in a standarized directory. The scripts can easily be run by calling in to the Answermator and entering the associated touch tones through your phone!
How does the Answermator protect my privacy?
To ensure user privacy and security, the Answermator will be accessible only through the home network. Additionally, it doesn't rely on data tracking services and will never send captured data to outside parties.
Masha Malishev
Hardware Implementation, Call Management, and Front-End Configuration
Senior Computer Engineering Major at the University of Maryland
Johan Vandegriff
Hardware Implementation, Call Management, and DTMF Framework
Senior Computer Engineering Major at the University of Maryland
Chad Nislow
Hardware Implementation and DTMF Framework
Senior Computer Engineering Major at the University of Maryland
Samuel Lam
Flask App Initialization and Database and Website Design
Senior Computer Science and Music Performance Dual Degree at the University of Maryland
Federico Sandi
Flask App Initialization and Database and Website Design
Senior Computer Science Major and Astronomy Minor at the University of Maryland
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