Voice assistant not responding — what to check

Skipper Don, the d3kOS voice assistant, listens continuously when enabled. If it is not responding to voice commands, here is a systematic approach to diagnosing the problem.

Microphone.) Confirm the USB microphone or the microphone on the PiCAN-M assembly is plugged in. In the d3kOS settings, there is a microphone test that plays back a short recording. If you do not hear your voice in the playback, the microphone is either not connected or not selected as the input device.

Wake word sensitivity. d3kOS uses a wake word (default: “Skipper Don”) before listening for a command. Speak clearly and at normal volume, within 1.5 metres of the microphone. Background engine noise can reduce wake-word detection accuracy. Try increasing the wake word sensitivity in settings.

AI service status. The voice assistant requires the d3kOS AI service to be running. On the dashboard, the service status panel shows whether the AI bridge is active. A red indicator means the service has stopped. Tap Restart to bring it back.

Speaker output. If the AI service is running but you hear nothing, check that the speaker volume is not set to zero in the dashboard settings and that the speaker is connected to the 3.5mm audio jack on the Pi, not a HDMI port.