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memovai/mimiclaw

A personal AI assistant firmware in pure C that runs on a $5 ESP32-S3 chip, chatting with you over Telegram.

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What is it?

MimiClaw is firmware that turns a small ESP32-S3 development board into a personal AI assistant. The device connects to WiFi and receives messages through a Telegram bot. Each message goes into an agent loop where the LLM can call tools, read stored memory, and send a reply. It supports Anthropic (Claude) and OpenAI (GPT) as model providers, and you can switch between them at runtime over the serial console.

The project runs without Linux, Node.js, or a server. Memory, chat history, and configuration are stored as plain text files on the board's flash, such as SOUL.md, USER.md, and MEMORY.md, which you can read and edit. The firmware includes a cron scheduler that lets the AI create recurring or one-shot tasks, and a heartbeat service that checks HEARTBEAT.md periodically and acts on open items.

Other built-in pieces include a WebSocket gateway on the local network, OTA firmware updates over WiFi, an HTTP CONNECT proxy option, and web search through Tavily or Brave API keys. Builds use ESP-IDF v5.5 or later, with setup scripts for Ubuntu and macOS.

Key features

  • 01Runs on an ESP32-S3 board with no Linux or Node.js
  • 02Chat with the assistant through a Telegram bot
  • 03Supports Anthropic and OpenAI models, switchable at runtime
  • 04Stores memory, personality, and chat history as editable text files on flash
  • 05Scheduled and periodic tasks via cron and a heartbeat file
  • 06Web search through Tavily or Brave API keys

Use cases

  • A low-power, always-on personal assistant on a spare microcontroller board
  • Experimenting with LLM agents on embedded hardware
  • Receiving scheduled reminders or daily summaries delivered through Telegram
  • Studying how a minimal ReAct-style agent loop is built in C

Quick start

  1. 1

    Install ESP-IDF v5.5+ first (see the official ESP-IDF guide)

  2. 2

    Clone the repository

    git clone https://github.com/memovai/mimiclaw.git
  3. 3

    Enter the project folder and set the ESP32-S3 target

    cd mimiclaw && idf.py set-target esp32s3
  4. 4

    Copy the secrets template, fill in WiFi, Telegram token and API key, then build and flash via the USB (JTAG) port

    idf.py fullclean && idf.py build

Things to know

  • Requires an ESP32-S3 board with 16 MB flash and 8 MB PSRAM, plus a paid LLM API key (Anthropic or OpenAI).
  • Setup needs ESP-IDF v5.5+ and building and flashing firmware, which is not a simple install.
  • Chat is through Telegram, so it needs a Telegram bot and WiFi access.

Topics

#embedded#esp32#telegram-bot#llm-agent#iot#edge-ai#personal-agent#ai#assistant#clawdbot

FAQ

What is mimiclaw?
A personal AI assistant firmware in pure C that runs on a $5 ESP32-S3 chip, chatting with you over Telegram. MimiClaw is firmware that turns a small ESP32-S3 development board into a personal AI assistant. The device connects to WiFi and receives messages through a Telegram bot. Each message goes into an agent loop where the LLM can call tools, read stored memory, and send a reply. It supports Anthropic (Claude) and OpenAI (GPT) as model providers, and you can switch between them at runtime over the serial console.
Is mimiclaw free to use? What license does it have?
mimiclaw is open source under the MIT license. Check the license terms before using it in commercial products.
Is mimiclaw still maintained?
Actively maintained. The last commit to mimiclaw was on Oct 4, 2026.
What can I use mimiclaw for?
A low-power, always-on personal assistant on a spare microcontroller board Experimenting with LLM agents on embedded hardware Receiving scheduled reminders or daily summaries delivered through Telegram Studying how a minimal ReAct-style agent loop is built in C
How do I install mimiclaw?
Install ESP-IDF v5.5+ first (see the official ESP-IDF guide) Clone the repository: git clone https://github.com/memovai/mimiclaw.git Enter the project folder and set the ESP32-S3 target: cd mimiclaw && idf.py set-target esp32s3 Copy the secrets template, fill in WiFi, Telegram token and API key, then build and flash via the USB (JTAG) port: idf.py fullclean && idf.py build
Where can I get mimiclaw?
The source code and installation instructions are on GitHub: https://github.com/memovai/mimiclaw

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