Zongzhu Bot

Zongzhu Bot is an ESP32 voice terminal firmware and backend that connects to a Grok Bot to display and read out responses.

Zongzhu Bot is an open source voice terminal project that turns an ESP32-S3 development board into a physical interface for a Grok Bot. Users speak a wake word and a request, and the system processes the speech locally using offline X-ASR recognition, sends it to a backend running on a computer or server, and displays and reads the Bot response. The hardware features a 1.75-inch AMOLED screen that renders thirteen real-time eye expressions reacting to touch, tilt, and shaking. It is designed for developers and hobbyists who want to build a physical voice assistant terminal with custom animations and subtitles. The project provides firmware and backend source code under the MIT license.

Zongzhu Bot at a glance

Best for: Software engineer, Product manager
Runs on: macOS, Windows, Linux, Chrome extension, self-hosted, open source
Pricing: Free
Released: October 2026
Category: AI agent tool
Website: github.com/liu-zhongxian/zongzhu-bot

Key features

Voice activation with wake word detection
Local offline speech recognition with X-ASR
Thirteen real-time animated eye expressions
Touch, tilt, and shake sensor reactions
Text display and speech readout for Bot responses
Adjustable subtitle modes
Web-based flashing tool

Use it for

Interact with a Grok Bot using voice commands
Display animated eyes on an ESP32 board
Read out Bot responses with local text-to-speech
Build a physical desktop voice assistant

Alternatives to Zongzhu Bot

Esp32 Thinks — Runs your own AI stack on low-cost hardware without vendor lock-in.
Bot Reborn — Runs directly in mobile Chrome over WebUSB with no server in between
Awesome Grokbot Playbooks — Provides verified Grok Bot playbooks, agent teams, and ecosystem tools.
DeepSeek Bot — Enables parallel communication and multi-agent group chats.
LobsterAI — Open-source desktop agent with local data storage and remote control via messaging apps.
OpenBot — Runs entirely on your own infrastructure with strict document permissions and custom.
Wx Bot — It prevents message loss with local SQLite storage and automatic redelivery.
py-xiaozhi — Connects LLMs to physical hardware and local IoT devices via async architecture.
Yao — Self-hosted agent platform with task tracking on centralized boards.
Dsh Im — Unifies multiple chat platforms into a single management setting.
BrowserOS — Runs entirely locally and lets AI agents use real user logins to complete tasks.
ZeroClaw — Own your AI infrastructure with no subscriptions or cloud dependencies.

All Zongzhu Bot alternatives