This was the beginning of my AI Buddy Survival System — a fully off-grid, solar-powered AI assistant designed to operate during power outages or off-the-grid situations while remaining completely self-reliant.

Hardware Setup

• Beelink SER5 Pro – Compact, power-efficient, AMD-powered mini PC
• Jackery Explorer 500 – Battery generator for off-grid power
• Jackery SolarSaga 100W Panel – Solar input for recharging the generator
• ASUS MB16A portable monitor – Lightweight, USB-powered secondary display
• Logitech K400 Wireless Keyboard – Built-in touchpad for full mobility
• Samsung T7 2TB SSD – External storage for models, logs, and backups

Software Stack

• Ubuntu installed directly on the Beelink (internal 500GB NVMe)
• GPT4All using llama.cpp – Local language model execution
• Home Assistant for managing smart devices locally
• Offline tools and scripts for survival routines, automation, and system checks

Design Goals

• Completely local AI — no internet dependency
• Rugged, portable, and modular system design
• Solar-powered daily usage while maintaining charge
• Protective cases for all hardware (screen, PC, accessories)
• Future plans: integrate voice control using a repurposed Echo Dot

Challenges & Lessons Learned

The Jackery manual warned against charging while using high-power devices, so I’ve configured usage patterns accordingly. Ubuntu offered the best balance of support and performance for running both Home Assistant and the AI models locally.

Current State

Everything works seamlessly: the Beelink boots quickly into Ubuntu, loads Home Assistant and GPT4All, and runs on solar-supplied Jackery power for hours. I store my keyboard and SSD in an accessory bag and have a hard case for the monitor.

This system now serves as both a smart home controller and offline AI companion, ready for everything from camping trips to natural disaster scenarios — a true digital survivalist setup.