Back to projects

Project

Local LLM / OpenClaw Experiments

Experiments with local models, tool calling, agent orchestration, and constrained hardware.

Research and experimentation OpenClawLM StudioLocal GGUF modelsUbuntuTool calling

Problem

Local LLMs are increasingly capable, but they are not drop-in replacements for hosted frontier models. The product and workflow need to fit the hardware.

Why I Built It

I wanted hands-on evidence about where local models are useful for agents, tool calling, and personal productivity workflows.

Architecture

The experiments compare local model runtimes, tool-call contracts, prompt structure, and agent orchestration boundaries on constrained hardware.

Tech Stack

  • OpenClaw
  • LM Studio
  • Local GGUF models
  • Ubuntu
  • Tool calling

Current Status

Research and experimentation.

Experiment Notes

The most useful comparison is not raw model score. It is whether a local model can complete a constrained workflow with acceptable latency, predictable tool use, and a failure mode that is easy to inspect.

Each experiment tracks the model, prompt structure, available tools, hardware constraints, task shape, and the point where human review becomes necessary.

What I Learned

Small local models work best when they are asked to perform narrow, structured tasks with explicit tools.

Next Steps

Document hardware limits, build a small repeatable task benchmark, and test one useful local workflow end to end.

Further Reading

Read related technical notes.

The writing archive expands on the architecture patterns, product constraints, and AI workflow decisions behind these projects.