Meta open-sourced Muse development kits for DIY AI gadgets

CNET, Engadget and Techlicious reported that Meta unveiled Muse Charm at its Connect conference in late September 2026, with CEO Mark Zuckerberg holding up a pendant-shaped device as a surprise announcement. Digital Trends said Meta released open-source development kits that let anyone build AI gadgets with its Muse agent.

The kits include ESP32 hardware, a microcontroller used by hobbyists to build electronics, and Raspberry Pi hardware, a small computer popular with hobbyists. Project ideas include an ESP32-S3 device with a 1.75-inch AMOLED display, HDMI-stick-like devices for TV apps, and mini tablet-sized color E Ink displays.

Meta plans to release the device by December 2026 but has not confirmed a firm release date or a price. The device will feature the company’s Muse AI agent with real-time voice interactions and an animated avatar. The device includes 5G connectivity so it can function without a paired smartphone. Zuckerberg described the Charm as a delightful and fun device for talking with the Muse personal AI agent, and Meta pitches it as something clipped to a keychain or bag that lets users skip unlocking their phone.

Techlicious says the Charm runs on a real-time voice model meant to feel like talking to a person, with an avatar screen reacting during conversation. The device uses Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Wear Elite chipset, the same processor that runs on Samsung’s latest smartwatches and is optimized for AI-ready wearables including watches, pendants, and glasses, according to CNET. CNET’s reporter noted the device resembled a strapless Apple Watch and questioned whether it might become a watch as well as a pendant, and CNET reported that reports of Meta working on its own smartwatch have circulated for years. Meta CTO Andrew Bosworth told CNET that a wristwatch-style version of the neural band could arrive next, and Meta told CNET it had no comment on a possible smartwatch.

The Charm’s design avoids facial cameras, addressing a key criticism of Meta’s AR hardware. Meta acknowledged resistance to its camera-equipped Ray-Ban Meta Gen 3 glasses and positioned the Charm as an alternative for privacy-conscious users. The Connect event also showcased $479 Ray-Ban Meta Gen 3 glasses, audio-only Ray-Ban Meta Audio glasses, and 100-gram VR Glasses built around Muse, placing the Charm within a broader hardware lineup centered on the Muse agent. Meta’s neural band, designed for Ray-Ban Display glasses, uses electromyography to detect skin-contact gestures for control, and the company tested the technology in a smart car dashboard prototype, though the band received no hardware updates in 2026.

Beyond the Charm, Meta launched Waddle World, an AI-powered Tamagotchi-style app, in the Philippines on iOS and Android on Sept. 28, 2026. The app lets users hatch and care for a virtual pet that responds to voice or text journal entries with AI-generated doodles and written notes, and Meta describes it as a 16-bit daily journal disguised as a pet without pressure, streaks, or scores. Users hatch an egg to get a virtual pet, then play with and feed it to keep it happy, collecting points in mini-games to buy food and toys; the mini-games include stacking groceries on the pet’s head, catching falling stars while dodging bombs, and spelling words from jumbled letters. The app also sends weekly e-mails summarizing what the AI learned about each user.

The app is restricted to users older than 18, and Meta explicitly stated it is not a chatbot, assistant, or productivity tool. Social media consultant Matt Navarra first spotted Waddle World and shared its store listings, which he described as “Tamagotchi meets ChatGPT.” The Philippines-only launch has prompted speculation that the app may be a test ahead of wider availability, though Meta has not explained the limited rollout.

The broader strategy reflects Meta’s ambition to place Muse AI everywhere, with the agent already running on smart glasses, VR headsets, and mobile apps and plans to extend it to all smart glasses and eventually VR Glasses. The Muse Home Link, a disc-shaped USB device that connects to home Wi-Fi, lets users control printers, lights, and TVs through voice commands, and Meta released 5,000 free units for new subscribers though there is no confirmed retail release. The Home Link bridges AI assistants and IoT ecosystems. Meta partnered with Garmin in 2025 to integrate fitness tracking with its smart glasses, suggesting future convergence with wearables that could supply health and lifestyle data to Muse AI.

Gemini runs on Wear OS watches, and Apple plans memory-assisting audio intelligence modes on new watches. CNET concludes that Meta wants Muse to be with users all the time even without glasses, and calls the Charm an experiment in constant access to the Muse mascot through a pendant form factor.

Meta warned DIY builders that tinkering may brick boards, void warranties, cause brownouts or bankruptcies. Users proceed at their own risk.

Engadget noted that Meta relies on cuteness and “uwu” appeal to get people to use and train its AI models. Users can design cute avatars and designate a personality for the Muse agent.

Previous attempts at standalone AI gadgets have struggled. Humane’s AI Pin launched in 2024 to poor reviews and died within a year, while Rabbit’s R1 offered only half-built abilities. Techlicious concluded that consumer demand for a keychain AI device is doubtful, since smartphones already perform most of what these gadgets promise. Meta has deeper pockets and an existing AI product in Muse, giving it an advantage that Humane and Rabbit lacked.