Stack-chan x OpenClaw x Hermes: app and UI for Hermes Agent

ESP-IDF firmware and bridge that make an M5Stack Stack-chan robot a node of OpenClaw or Hermes agents

What Stack-chan x OpenClaw x Hermes does

The project has three parts: native ESP-IDF firmware for the M5Stack CoreS3 robot, a TypeScript ai-server bridge between the device and the agent backend, and a web config editor. Each robot has a profile that binds it to one backend and one agent. A backend field in the config selects OpenClaw (0) or Hermes (1), and the agent binding headers or routes follow from that, so one fleet of robots can mix both backends.

Profiles are set through BLE provisioning or the web config editor, with no reflashing. The README's example table binds one robot to an OpenClaw agent on port 18789 and another to a Hermes agent on port 8643. For Hermes the README describes agents with speech-to-text, an LLM, text-to-speech, memory, skills and MCP configuration. The bridge needs Node.js 20 or newer, ws, opusscript and dotenv. The firmware uses ESP-IDF v5.5.4 rather than Arduino or PlatformIO.

Key features

Native ESP-IDF firmware for the M5Stack CoreS3 Stack-chan
Per-robot profile binding to a backend and an agent
OpenClaw or Hermes selected by a backend field in the config
BLE provisioning and a web config editor, no reflashing needed
TypeScript ai-server bridge using WebSocket and an Opus codec

When to use it

Giving a desk robot a persistent agent identity instead of stateless cloud LLM calls
Running several robots bound to different agents on different backends
Using a Stack-chan as a voice front end for a Hermes research agent

Who it is for: Makers with an M5Stack CoreS3 Stack-chan who run OpenClaw or Hermes Agent on their own network.

How it fits with Hermes Agent

It supports Hermes Agent as one of two selectable backends alongside OpenClaw, using a Hermes instance on the local network and its dashboard URL.

How to install Stack-chan x OpenClaw x Hermes

These commands are copied from the project's README. Check the repository for the latest steps before you run them.

cd ai-server && npm install
npx tsx src/index.ts

Requirements: M5Stack CoreS3, USB-C cable, 2.4 GHz WiFi, ESP-IDF v5.5.4, Python 3.9+, Node.js 20+, and a running OpenClaw gateway or Hermes Agent with its dashboard URL

Note: The firmware targets the M5Stack CoreS3 and needs 2.4 GHz WiFi, because the ESP32 does not support 5 GHz.

FAQ

What is Stack-chan x OpenClaw x Hermes?

It is open-source reference firmware and a TypeScript bridge that make an M5Stack Stack-chan robot a channel of an OpenClaw or Hermes agent, with per-robot profile binding.

Does Stack-chan x OpenClaw x Hermes work with Hermes Agent?

Yes. Hermes is one of two supported backends, chosen by the backend field in each robot's profile. The README also supports OpenClaw, so it is not Hermes-only.

What do I need to run Stack-chan x OpenClaw x Hermes?

You need an M5Stack CoreS3, a USB-C cable, 2.4 GHz WiFi, ESP-IDF v5.5.4 and Node.js 20+. You also need a running OpenClaw gateway or a Hermes Agent with its dashboard URL.