chapter 7
Use Cases: Useful + Fun
zclaw is most compelling when language, memory, schedule, and GPIO live in one tiny device. This chapter answers the practical "why use this?" question.
Why This Feels Different
Most assistants can chat. zclaw can chat and directly do things with pins, stored state, and local schedules in the same runtime. You are operating hardware.
- It keeps persistent values in device storage (NVS) across reboots.
- It can drive GPIO and run scheduled actions without another automation server.
- It can blend free-form language with deterministic tools and schemas.
Useful Use Cases
| Use Case | What zclaw Does | Why On-Device Matters |
|---|---|---|
| Lab bring-up checklist | Runs a staged startup script: set GPIO rails, wait, verify sensor pins, report health. | One chat command can control real sequencing and report exact current state. |
| Greenhouse helper | Schedules watering, stores moisture notes, toggles relays, and reports timing. | State and schedules persist locally; no separate home-automation hub required. |
| Workshop routine assistant | Starts timed reminders for recurring bench tasks and equipment checks. | Reminders and actions are tied to the same device that controls outputs. |
| Field test rig assistant | Creates one-shot test routines, logs outcomes in memory keys, and replays known-good actions. | Useful when you need repeatable actions from natural language while standing at hardware. |
| Power/load cycling | Switches circuits with delay windows and periodic checks, then summarizes what happened. | Low-friction orchestration where command, execution, and telemetry live together. |
Fun Use Cases
- Desk rituals: "At 9:00 weekdays, pulse the lamp and send me a one-line agenda nudge."
- Game night mode: map a "dramatic lights" tool that runs a timed GPIO scene for board games.
- Build celebration: after successful firmware flash, blink a victory pattern and store
u_last_win. - Tiny theater: "Tell me a short status joke and blink pin 5 twice if heap is healthy."
- Ambient companion: tone/persona changes plus simple physical responses make it feel alive.
Unique Because It Runs Here
zclaw is interesting because it is constrained and embodied:
- Embodied: it can immediately reach hardware through GPIO/I2C. It can go around with you.
- Stateful: memory keys and persona stay on the device
- Schedulable: natural language can produce persistent timed behavior.
- Inspectable: logs and built-in health/version tools make behavior debuggable.
Limits Are Part Of The Appeal
The limits are a feature: on this build, zclaw runs with well under 200KB free heap at startup and tighter headroom under load, plus an 888 KiB firmware target. That keeps the assistant concise, explicit, and practical.
- Tool schemas keep behavior grounded in clear actions.
- Small budgets discourage bloated responses and over-engineered flows.
- A tiny, auditable stack is often easier to trust in daily automation.
Prompts To Try First
"Create a once schedule in 15 minutes to turn GPIO 5 off." "Show me my schedules." "Remember that GPIO 4 is my door sensor." "Tell me current health." "Set persona to witty." "Explain what tasks are scheduled today." "Create a tool called bench_shutdown that powers down relay pins in order." "Run bench_shutdown." "At 8:15 every day, remind me to check the plants." "Blink the status LED."