What it does
MimiClaw runs a personal AI assistant on a small ESP32-S3 board, a thumb-sized chip that costs a few dollars. Plug it into USB power, connect it to Wi-Fi, and message it through Telegram.
The board passes your messages to Claude or GPT, lets the AI use tools, and keeps a memory that survives restarts. Its makers say it uses very little power and can run all day.
Setting it up means building the software and loading it onto the board, and you need a Telegram bot and an Anthropic or OpenAI API key.
Who it's for
Electronics hobbyists and makers who want a low-power, always-on AI assistant.
Can I use it without coding?
Developers only. You compile the code with Espressif's tools and flash it onto a specific board. New to this? Start here.
Can I run it?
- Cost
- Free, but needs an AI accountThe software is free, but it uses an online AI service (like OpenAI or Anthropic), which usually charges for use.
- Privacy
- Sends what you give it to an online service
- API key
- Needed. An API key is a password-like code from an online AI service. What's that?
Try it
Using Claude Code, Cursor or another AI coding assistant? Paste the prompt and it will walk you through the setup.New to this?
Before you install
- Only download from the official GitHub page. Copies with similar names exist for many popular projects.
- License (MIT): Very permissive: free to use, change and share, including for business.
- Keep your API key private. Never paste it into websites or share it, and set a spending limit with the AI service.
- What you type or upload is sent to an online service. Avoid sharing private or sensitive information.
- More on staying safe