AI Agent running on UNIHIKER M10

Team.Prof Mar 31.2026

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Introduction

Running an AI agent on a single-board computer (SBC) offers significant advantages over a traditional PC. SBCs are compact, energy-efficient, and cost-effective, making them ideal for edge deployments where space and power are limited. With GPIO and hardware interfaces, SBCs integrate seamlessly into IoT ecosystems, allowing direct control of sensors and actuators.

This article provides a step-by-step guide to running PicoClaw, an AI agent designed for embedded intelligence, on the UNIHIKER M10 single-board computer, highlighting setup, and integration.

Hardware

1. DFRobot UNIHIKER M10

Prerequisite

1. OS: UNIHIKER v0.4.5+

2. Wi-Fi connection with Internet access available

3. A Telegram bot token

4. A deepseek API key

Steps (Prerequisite)

You may skip this section if you have already fulfilled the prerequisite.

Upgrade UNIHIKER M10 to version 0.4.5 or above

- Download OS Image from https://www.unihiker.com/wiki/SystemAndConfiguration/UnihikerOS/unihiker_os_image/

- Follow the Burning Guide on https://www.unihiker.com/wiki/SystemAndConfiguration/UnihikerOS/unihiker_os_burn/

- Once upgrade success, you should see the following screen on UNHIKER M10's System Info page

Wi-Fi setup

- Follow the FAQ about Wi-Fi Internet connection

https://www.unihiker.com/wiki/Troubleshooting/How_to_connect_wifi/

Telegram bot token

- Follow the "Obtain Your Bot Token" section to create your bot and get its token

https://core.telegram.org/bots/tutorial#getting-ready

DeepSeek API key

- Visit deepseek web to create an API key

Steps (AI Agent - PicoClaw)

Install PicoClaw

- Launch a terminal on PC, type the following commands to access

ssh [email protected]

dfrobot

wget https://github.com/sipeed/picoclaw/releases/download/v0.2.4/picoclaw_Linux_arm64.tar.gz

mkdir picoclaw && cd picoclaw

tar xvf ../picoclaw_Linux_arm64.tar.gz

Setup PicoClaw

- Run the following command to create file ~/.picoclaw/config.json

./picoclaw onboard

- edit ~/.picoclaw/config.json, enter your Telegram token and DeepSeek API key, and leave all other settings unchanged

{

"agents": {

"defaults": {

"model_name": "deepseek-chat",

"max_tokens": 8192,

"channels": {

"telegram": {

"enabled": true,

"token":"!!! your Telegram token !!!",

"allow_from": [],

"model_list": [

{

"model_name": "deepseek-chat",

"model": "deepseek/deepseek-chat",

"api_key": "!!! your deepseek's API key !!!",

"api_base": "https://api.deepseek.com/v1"

}

Run PicoClaw gateway

- Run the following command to start picoclaw gateway

./picoclaw gateway

You should see the following screen if everything works smoothly.

- your Claw can now respond to Telegram chats

- launch the Telegram app on your mobile device

- search for the bot you created and send the message: “What time is it”

You should see the following screen if everything works smoothly.

Custom your claw's name, and show the hostname of the running machine

- edit ~/.picoclaw/workspace/AGENT.md, change your name and add "Behavior Rules", and leave all other settings unchanged

Your name is TeamPicoClaw 🦞.

# Behavior Rules

When a user asks for your name, first run the shell command `hostname` to get the system's hostname. Then, respond my name with "running on [the hostname you just retrieved]."

- restart picoclaw gateway by typing the following commands

./picoclaw gateway

- send the message "/clear" followed by “What's your name”

You should see the following screen if everything works smoothly.