My house now has an AI agent. Not just smart home devices — an actual agent that understands context, learns patterns, and makes decisions about my home environment. Here is how I set it up.
The integration
Home Assistant has a REST API. OpenClaw can call REST APIs via custom skills. The connection was surprisingly straightforward — about 2 hours of work to get the basics running.
What it does
Context-aware lighting. Instead of simple time-based schedules, my agent knows my calendar. Working from home? Office lights on, warm white. Video call in 5 minutes? Ring light on. Movie night on the calendar? Living room dims automatically at the scheduled time.
Energy optimization. The agent checks electricity rates (they vary by hour here) and runs high-power devices during cheap periods. Dishwasher, laundry, EV charging — all scheduled automatically.
Natural language control. Instead of using the Home Assistant app or voice commands with specific syntax, I just text my agent: “it is freezing in here” → thermostat goes up 2 degrees. “I am going to bed” → all lights off, doors locked, alarm set.
The limitation
Latency. A text command takes 2-3 seconds to process (message → AI → API call → device). Voice commands via Alexa are instant. For time-critical stuff (lights when entering a room), I still use motion sensors. The agent handles everything else.
Home Assistant documentation is at their developer portal. The REST API section is what you need for agent integration.