Claude Code
Best for: Serious work on real repos
Anthropic's agent for your terminal, IDE and desktop. Reads the whole repo, runs commands and tests, and handles large multi-file changes well.
Visit Claude Code ↗Home / Use case
Build a hardware or robot project with AI help
“I want to make a gadget, robot or circuit but I'm not an engineer.”
AI can write firmware, explain wiring and even drive test equipment. It can't see your bench, so tell it exactly what's connected — and keep power and moving parts safe.
Fix it yourself in 3 steps
- Describe the board, parts and what's wired where; take a photo for yourself to compare.
- Ask for code in small steps, testing each step on the device before moving on.
- Ask it to list safety checks (power, heat, moving parts) before anything runs unattended.
Copy this prompt
I'm building [project] with [board and parts]. Wiring: [what connects where]. Write the code in small testable steps, and tell me what I should see after each step. Before any step that drives motors, high current or heat, list the safety checks. Don't order parts or change anything without asking me. Stop after step 1 so I can test it.
Fill in the [brackets]. Each prompt says when the AI should stop, so it doesn't wander off.
Agents people used for this: OpenClaw, Claude Code, Gemini, Claude Cowork.
Inspired by real examples collected at agentusecases.ai.
📚 11 real stories of people doing this with AI agents
- Build a medication reminder pill dispenser that alerts caregivers · OpenClaw
- Build e-ink fridge shopping list firmware · Claude Code
- Control and calibrate a robotic hand with OpenClaw · OpenClaw
- Control robots with generated code and voice commands · Gemini
- Drive a 7-axis robot arm with natural language · OpenClaw
- Orchestrate a Spot robot through multi-step tasks · Gemini
- Program a sub-$2k personal robot · custom-built or unnamed agent
- Reverse engineer device hardware and write drivers · Claude
- Run a home robot through Claude Desktop · Claude Cowork
- Run an offline car assistant on a Raspberry Pi · custom-built or unnamed agent
- Verify SPICE simulations against a real oscilloscope · Claude Code
Collected at AgentUseCases.ai.
Tools for this
OpenClaw
Best for: Tinkerers who want their own agent
Free, open-source personal AI agent you run on your own computer and talk to from chat apps — powerful, but you set it up and guard its access yourself.
Visit OpenClaw ↗Claude
Best for: Writing, analysis, code
Anthropic's assistant: strong writing, analysis and coding, with projects and artifacts for longer work.
Visit Claude ↗Gemini
Best for: Google Workspace users
Google's assistant, woven into Gmail, Docs and Android. Strongest if you live in Google's apps.
Visit Gemini ↗