Follow the steps below to install and run the AI-Powered Virtual Assistant on your local machine.

Step 1: Clone the Repository

Open a terminal and execute:

git clone https://github.com/SrutiGupta/virtualassistant.git

Move into the project directory:

cd virtualassistant

Step 2: Install Frontend Dependencies

Navigate to the client folder:

cd client

Install the required packages:

npm install

Step 3: Install Backend Dependencies

Open another terminal.

Navigate to the server folder:

cd server

Install the backend dependencies:

npm install

Step 4: Configure Environment Variables

Create a .env file inside the backend folder.

Add the following variables:

PORT=5000

MONGODB_URI=your_mongodb_connection_string

JWT_SECRET=your_secret_key

GEMINI_API_KEY=your_gemini_api_key

CLOUDINARY_CLOUD_NAME=your_cloud_name

CLOUDINARY_API_KEY=your_api_key

CLOUDINARY_API_SECRET=your_api_secret

Step 5: Configure MongoDB

Using MongoDB Atlas

• Create a MongoDB Atlas account.
• Create a cluster.
• Create a database user.
• Whitelist your IP address.
• Copy the connection string.
• Paste it into the MONGODB_URI variable.

OR

Using MongoDB Community Server

Install MongoDB Community Server and use:

mongodb://127.0.0.1:27017/virtualassistant

Step 6: Configure Cloudinary

• Create a Cloudinary account.
• Copy the Cloud Name, API Key, and API Secret.
• Add them to the .env file.

Step 7: Configure Google Gemini API

• Generate a Gemini API key from Google AI Studio.
• Copy the API key.
• Paste it into the .env file.

Step 8: Start the Backend Server

npm run dev

or

npm start

Step 9: Start the Frontend

cd client
npm run dev

The frontend will start at:

http://localhost:5173

The backend server will run at:

http://localhost:5000

Step 10: Launch the Application

Open your web browser and visit:

http://localhost:5173

The AI-Powered Virtual Assistant is now ready to use.

 Usage Instructions

After successfully installing and launching the application, users can interact with the AI-Powered Virtual Assistant by following the steps below.

1. Register an Account

• Open the application.
• Click Sign Up.
• Enter your name, email address, and password.
• Complete the registration process.

2. Login

• Enter your registered email and password.
• Click Sign In.
• The application authenticates the user securely using JWT Authentication.

3. Personalize Your Assistant

After logging in, users can:

• Choose an assistant avatar.
• Upload a custom profile picture.
• Assign a custom name to the assistant.

These settings are securely stored in MongoDB.

4. Interact with the Assistant

Users can communicate using:

• Voice Commands
• Text Input

The assistant processes requests using the Google Gemini API and returns intelligent responses.

5. Available Functions

The virtual assistant can perform tasks such as:

• Answer general questions
• Provide programming assistance
• Generate text content
• Perform mathematical calculations
• Search information on the web
• Open YouTube
• Open Google Maps
• Provide weather information
• Respond using voice output

6. Voice Interaction

• Click the microphone icon.
• Speak naturally.
• The application converts speech to text.
• Gemini AI processes the request.
• The assistant replies using speech synthesis.

7. Profile Management

Users can:

• Update their assistant's name.
• Change the assistant avatar.
• Upload a new profile image.
• Manage their account information.

8. Logout

To end the session securely:

• Click the Logout button.
• The JWT session is terminated.
• The user is redirected to the login page.

After successfully installing and launching the application, users can interact with the AI-Powered Virtual Assistant by following the steps below.

1. Register an Account

• Open the application.
• Click Sign Up.
• Enter your name, email address, and password.
• Complete the registration process.

2. Login

• Enter your registered email and password.
• Click Sign In.
• The application authenticates the user securely using JWT Authentication.

3. Personalize Your Assistant

After logging in, users can:

• Choose an assistant avatar.
• Upload a custom profile picture.
• Assign a custom name to the assistant.

These settings are securely stored in MongoDB.

4. Interact with the Assistant

Users can communicate using:

• Voice Commands
• Text Input

The assistant processes requests using the Google Gemini API and returns intelligent responses.

5. Available Functions

The virtual assistant can perform tasks such as:

• Answer general questions
• Provide programming assistance
• Generate text content
• Perform mathematical calculations
• Search information on the web
• Open YouTube
• Open Google Maps
• Provide weather information
• Respond using voice output

6. Voice Interaction

• Click the microphone icon.
• Speak naturally.
• The application converts speech to text.
• Gemini AI processes the request.
• The assistant replies using speech synthesis.

7. Profile Management

Users can:

• Update their assistant's name.
• Change the assistant avatar.
• Upload a new profile image.
• Manage their account information.

8. Logout

To end the session securely:

• Click the Logout button.
• The JWT session is terminated.
• The user is redirected to the login page.