Last updated · 7 projects
Seeed's XIAO boards show up on HardwareLab when a device has to be small. 7 builds name one in their parts list, and every XIAO in them is ESP32-based: the XIAO ESP32S3, the ESP32S3 Sense and the ESP32-C6. Three of the builds are smart glasses. VisionClaw adds 3D-printed AI temples with bone-conduction audio to a stock frame, SidekickOS puts a XIAO ESP32S3 Sense in a 3D-printable clip that captures images up to 1600×1200 and streams audio over Bluetooth LE, and OpenGlass turns any glasses into hackable smart glasses with a Seeed Studio XIAO ESP32 S3 Sense, a battery and a 3D printed mount (the project has since moved to the Omi repository).
The rest are pocket and desk devices. RIO is a standalone, full-duplex Gemini Live voice assistant on a XIAO ESP32S3 Sense. The Siyun e-paper therapist is a portable companion built entirely from Seeed parts: it listens, answers through a speaker with Azure OpenAI and shows text on a 1.54-inch e-paper screen. esp32-iphone-agent uses a XIAO ESP32S3 so an AI model can operate a real iPhone with no computer at run time. In odradek-pi5, a XIAO ESP32-C6 is one part of a larger Raspberry Pi 5 build.
Like most ESP32 builds, these devices do the sensing and send the thinking to a model elsewhere: Gemini Live, Azure OpenAI or a vision model. Start here if you want something wearable or pocket-sized. If you want the model to run on the device, see the Raspberry Pi hub.
How we picked: buildable projects only, most GitHub stars first, one per category.
Most of these builds use the XIAO ESP32S3 Sense (5 of 7): all three glasses, RIO and the Siyun companion. esp32-iphone-agent is the exception: it uses the plain XIAO ESP32S3 with 8MB PSRAM and says any ESP32-S3 with native USB and PSRAM works.
An ESP32-S3 board lets an AI model use a real iPhone: no computer at run time, no jailbreak.
Standalone full-duplex Gemini Live assistant on a XIAO.
Modular glasses: stock frame plus 3D-printed AI temples.
Open software and hardware for a clip-on smart-glasses module.
Pocket e-paper companion that listens and responds with Azure OpenAI.
Turn any glasses into hackable smart glasses with off-the-shelf components.
A Death Stranding Odradek that listens, tracks and scans for AI glasses.
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