NOVA THE LOCAL AI ASSISTANT
Description and use
NOVA is a local AI desktop assistant for Windows that consolidates voice interaction, local models, persistent memory, and automation to reduce repetitive digital work.
Problem
Users repeatedly switch applications, search files, and repeat instructions, leading to inefficiency in daily digital work.
Outcome
NOVA consolidates repetitive digital tasks into a single local AI assistant, enabling offline voice interaction, persistent memory, permission‑controlled desktop automation, and visual context awareness, thereby reducing manual effort and improving workflow efficiency.
Workflow
- 1. Capture voice input via sounddevice and openWakeWord for wake‑word detection.
- 2. Transcribe audio with Vosk offline speech recognition.
- 3. Generate response using local Ollama runtime with Qwen 2.5 models.
- 4. Synthesize speech with Piper TTS for voice output.
- 5. Persist conversation, project, and task data in SQLite memory using FastEmbed for semantic retrieval.
- 6. Execute desktop automation commands through registered tools with permission checks, previews, and logging.
- 7. Capture screen and perform OCR for visual context while filtering sensitive data.
- 8. Coordinate tasks across Research, Developer, System, Vision, and Memory agents via a workflow orchestrator.
Evidence
I built NOVA (Neural Operational Virtual Assistant), a local-first, JARVIS-inspired AI desktop assistant designed to take care of repetitive computer tasks and make everyday digital work easier.
It supports: Local AI conversations, Offline voice interaction, Persistent memory, Desktop automation, Visual intelligence, Multi-agent orchestration, Proactive automation, Personalization.
NOVA is built around open-source technologies and open-weight AI models. My goal was to avoid making the assistant dependent on a single closed AI provider.
I use Ollama as the local model runtime, with Qwen 2.5 models for language generation.
NOVA includes a registered desktop tool system with 23 tools covering application, file, and system operations.
- Record date: 2026-10-26T05:26:18.315Z