Full-Stack AI Developer / AI Application Developer

We are developing a confidential consumer-facing ambient AI hardware product combining conversational AI, real-time animated graphics, voice interaction, and embedded Linux hardware. The product architecture and detailed development specification have already been created. We are looking for a capable full-stack AI developer who can take an established technical direction and turn it into a functional Prototype 001. This is a proof-of-concept project—not a production-ready commercial release. Technical Stack The project will involve: - React / TypeScript - Three.js, React Three Fiber, WebGL, or equivalent - Python 3.11+ - FastAPI - WebSockets - Conversational AI / LLM APIs - Speech-to-text - Text-to-speech - Real-time audio-reactive animation - Linux / Raspberry Pi - Hardware-event integration - Git/GitHub Experience with interactive installations, embedded displays, conversational AI, voice assistants, kiosks, or physical AI products is especially valuable. Initial Paid Validation Milestone — $150 Before awarding the complete project, our preferred candidate will complete one small paid validation milestone. Create a browser-based, full-screen black environment containing a polished luminous animated AI entity/orb. It should demonstrate these states: DORMANT — Interface is effectively invisible/black. AWAKE — Entity smoothly materializes. LISTENING — Entity visually communicates active listening through breathing, pulsing, flowing movement, etc. THINKING — Animation visibly changes to communicate processing. SPEAKING — Entity responds dynamically using supplied or simulated audio-amplitude data. RETURN TO DORMANT — Entity smoothly disappears. Keyboard commands or simple developer controls may trigger the states. No microphone, AI API, camera, speech recognition, Raspberry Pi, or external hardware integration is required for this validation milestone. We are NOT expecting production-ready software for $150. This milestone evaluates technical ability, visual polish, code quality, communication, documentation, and ability to follow an established architecture. Successful Validation → Prototype 001 The developer selected after validation will continue into the larger fixed-price Prototype 001 engagement. Prototype development will include: - Frontend AI interface - Python/FastAPI backend - WebSocket state/event architecture - Speech-to-text - Conversational AI - Text-to-speech - Real-time speech-reactive animation - Contextual UI elements - Hardware/presence event integration - Raspberry Pi/Linux deployment - User/profile architecture - Configuration, logging, testing, and documentation A detailed software-development specification, architecture, state model, repository structure, starter-code framework, and acceptance criteria have already been prepared and will be supplied to the selected developer under confidentiality terms. Budget & Development Structure Total Prototype 001 software budget: $2,500 fixed price. The $150 validation is part of this total budget—not additional to it. Remaining development will be divided into clearly defined milestones. Future production development would be a separate engagement. We value realistic engineering discussions. If you believe part of the proposed prototype scope should be handled differently, explain why in your application. Ownership & Confidentiality Additional information regarding the product itself, commercial application, design language, and complete architecture will be disclosed to the selected developer under appropriate confidentiality terms. The selected developer must be comfortable working under confidentiality and project-specific intellectual-property terms. Project-specific source code and documentation must be maintained in the project owner's repository with clear Git history. When Applying Please do NOT send a large generic portfolio. Instead, provide links to the 2–3 projects most relevant to this work and briefly answer: 1. Which part of this project most closely matches work you have previously completed? 2. What technology would you use for the animated AI entity, and why? 3. Have you connected React/TypeScript applications to Python/FastAPI using WebSockets? 4. What experience do you have integrating LLM, speech-to-text, and text-to-speech APIs? 5. Have you deployed software to Raspberry Pi, Linux kiosks, embedded displays, or similar hardware? 6. Are you comfortable working from an existing architecture and technical specification? 7. Are you comfortable maintaining clear Git history, documentation, and reproducible installation instructions? 8. Are you willing to work under confidentiality and project-specific IP terms? 9. Approximately how long would you expect the $150 validation milestone to take? 10. If successful, are you interested in completing Prototype 001 within the overall $2,500 fixed-price budget? We are looking for more than someone who can connect an API to a chatbot. The right developer should be capable of combining AI integration, backend development, real-time frontend graphics, and embedded deployment into one cohesive prototype. There is potential for continued development beyond Prototype 001 if the working relationship is successful.