# MimiClaw: Pocket AI Assistant on a $5 Chip [](LICENSE) [](https://deepwiki.com/memovai/mimiclaw) [](https://discord.gg/r8ZxSvB8Yr) [](https://x.com/ssslvky) **[English](README.md) | [中文](README_CN.md)** <p align="center"> <img src="assets/banner.png" alt="MimiClaw" width="480" /> </p> **The world's first AI assistant(OpenClaw) on a $5 chip. No Linux. No Node.js. Just pure C** MimiClaw turns a tiny ESP32-S3 board into a personal AI assistant. Plug it into USB power, connect to WiFi, and talk to it through Telegram — it handles any task you throw at it and evolves over time with local memory — all on a chip the size of a thumb. ## Meet MimiClaw - **Tiny** — No Linux, no Node.js, no bloat — just pure C - **Handy** — Message it from Telegram, it handles the rest - **Loyal** — Learns from memory, remembers across reboots - **Energetic** — USB power, 0.5 W, runs 24/7 - **Lovable** — One ESP32-S3 board, $5, nothing else ## How It Works  You send a message on Telegram. The ESP32-S3 picks it up over WiFi, feeds it into an agent loop — Claude thinks, calls tools, reads memory — and sends the reply back. Everything runs on a single $5 chip with all your data stored locally on flash. ## Quick Start ### What You Need - An **ESP32-S3 dev board** with 16 MB flash and 8 MB PSRAM (e.g. Xiaozhi AI board, ~$10) - A **USB Type-C cable** - A **Telegram bot token** — talk to [@BotFather](https://t.me/BotFather) on Telegram to create one - An **Anthropic API key** — from [console.anthropic.com](https://console.anthropic.com) ### Install ```bash # You need ESP-IDF v5.5+ installed first: # https://docs.espressif.com/projects/esp-idf/en/v5.5.2/esp32s3/get-started/ git clone https://github.com/memovai/mimiclaw.git cd mimiclaw idf.py set-target esp32s3 ``` ### Configure MimiClaw uses a **two-layer config** system: build-time defaults in `mimi_secrets.h`, with runtime overrides via the serial CLI. CLI values are stored in NVS flash and take priority over build-time values. ```bash cp main/mimi_secrets.h.example main/mimi_secrets.h ``` Edit `main/mimi_secrets.h`: ```c #define MIMI_SECRET_WIFI_SSID "YourWiFiName" #define MIMI_SECRET_WIFI_PASS "YourWiFiPassword" #define MIMI_SECRET_TG_TOKEN "123456:ABC-DEF1234ghIkl-zyx57W2v1u123ew11" #define MIMI_SECRET_API_KEY "sk-ant-api03-xxxxx" #define MIMI_SECRET_SEARCH_KEY "" // optional: Brave Search API key #define MIMI_SECRET_PROXY_HOST "" // optional: e.g. "10.0.0.1" #define MIMI_SECRET_PROXY_PORT "" // optional: e.g. "7897" ``` Then build and flash: ```bash # Clean build (required after any mimi_secrets.h change) idf.py fullclean && idf.py build # Find your serial port ls /dev/cu.usb* # macOS ls /dev/ttyACM* # Linux # Flash and monitor (replace PORT with your port) # USB adapter: likely /dev/cu.usbmodem11401 (macOS) or /dev/ttyACM0 (Linux) idf.py -p PORT flash monitor ``` ### CLI Commands Connect via serial to configure or debug. **Config commands** let you change settings without recompiling — just plug in a USB cable anywhere. **Runtime config** (saved to NVS, overrides build-time defaults): ``` mimi> wifi_set MySSID MyPassword # change WiFi network mimi> set_tg_token 123456:ABC... # change Telegram bot token mimi> set_api_key sk-ant-api03-... # change Anthropic API key mimi> set_model claude-sonnet-4-5 # change LLM model mimi> set_proxy 127.0.0.1 7897 # set HTTP proxy mimi> clear_proxy # remove proxy mimi> set_search_key BSA... # set Brave Search API key mimi> config_show # show all config (masked) mimi> config_reset # clear NVS, revert to build-time defaults ``` **Debug & maintenance:** ``` mimi> wifi_status # am I connected? mimi> memory_read # see what the bot remembers mimi> memory_write "content" # write to MEMORY.md mimi> heap_info # how much RAM is free? mimi> session_list # list all chat sessions mimi> session_clear 12345 # wipe a conversation mimi> restart # reboot ``` ## Memory MimiClaw stores everything as plain text files you can read and edit: | File | What it is | |------|------------| | `SOUL.md` | The bot's personality — edit this to change how it behaves | | `USER.md` | Info about you — name, preferences, language | | `MEMORY.md` | Long-term memory — things the bot should always remember | | `2026-02-05.md` | Daily notes — what happened today | | `tg_12345.jsonl` | Chat history — your conversation with the bot | ## Tools MimiClaw uses Anthropic's tool use protocol — Claude can call tools during a conversation and loop until the task is done (ReAct pattern). | Tool | Description | |------|-------------| | `web_search` | Search the web via Brave Search API for current information | | `get_current_time` | Fetch current date/time via HTTP and set the system clock | To enable web search, set a [Brave Search API key](https://brave.com/search/api/) via `MIMI_SECRET_SEARCH_KEY` in `mimi_secrets.h`. ## Also Included - **WebSocket gateway** on port 18789 — connect from your LAN with any WebSocket client - **OTA updates** — flash new firmware over WiFi, no USB needed - **Dual-core** — network I/O and AI processing run on separate CPU cores - **HTTP proxy** — CONNECT tunnel support for restricted networks - **Tool use** — ReAct agent loop with Anthropic tool use protocol ## For Developers Technical details live in the `docs/` folder: - **[docs/ARCHITECTURE.md](docs/ARCHITECTURE.md)** — system design, module map, task layout, memory budget, protocols, flash partitions - **[docs/TODO.md](docs/TODO.md)** — feature gap tracker and roadmap ## License MIT ## Acknowledgments Inspired by [OpenClaw](https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw) and [Nanobot](https://github.com/HKUDS/nanobot). MimiClaw reimplements the core AI agent architecture for embedded hardware — no Linux, no server, just a $5 chip. ## Star History [](https://star-history.com/#memovai/mimiclaw&Date)