FAQ
Protoship is the ordering endpoint for your own AI agent: the agent picks standard parts for a device, gets a priced quote with an ESPHome starter config, and after you confirm, Protoship gets the device assembled and delivered.
Agents and access
Which AI agents work with Protoship?
Any agent that speaks MCP over Streamable HTTP, such as Claude Code and Codex, through https://mcp.protoship.dev:
claude mcp add --transport http protoship https://mcp.protoship.dev codex mcp add protoship --url https://mcp.protoship.dev
Agents without MCP use the HTTP API: GET /api/catalog, POST /api/quote, POST /api/reserve. Chat assistants such as ChatGPT can hand you a link to the quote page.
Do I need an account or an API key?
No. catalog and quote work without anything. A reservation needs only your email address, which you confirm with one mail.
Devices
What can my agent build with Protoship?
Devices from an Arduino Nano ESP32 on a Nano Connector Carrier plus modules: BME280 climate sensor, SCD41 CO2 sensor, 1.3" OLED, PIR presence sensor, low-voltage relay, PCA9685 servo driver with micro servos and an RGB LED ring. Examples are the room-climate display, a CO2 display, a presence switch for low-voltage loads and a small servo mount. Every part is listed in the catalog.
Does the device come with firmware?
Every quote carries an ESPHome starter config for exactly its parts, with pins and I²C addresses filled in. You or your agent flash it over USB-C after delivery and change it as you like.
Does it work with Home Assistant?
Yes. The starter config uses the ESPHome native API, so Home Assistant discovers the device on your network once it is flashed.
Can I get a battery-powered or mains-powered device?
Not yet. Every device runs on USB-C at 5 V with no battery and no mains voltage inside. The relay switches low-voltage loads up to 24 V DC only.
Can my agent order custom PCBs, 3D prints or CNC parts?
Custom parts from your agent's design files go through the waitlist for now. Your agent calls join_waitlist with what you want to order and the device in one sentence; those wishes decide what Protoship adds next.
Price, reservation and delivery
What does a device cost?
The quote shows parts, enclosure, assembly, shipping, Protoship's fee and VAT as separate lines. A room-climate display in a printed enclosure delivered to Germany comes to 170.13 € incl. VAT and shipping (example). The final total is confirmed before you order.
Do I pay when I reserve?
No. A reservation takes no payment and does not oblige you to buy. Before anything is ordered you see the final total and confirm it yourself.
Where does Protoship deliver?
Reservations are open across the EU. Electronics deliver to Germany first and open in other EU countries one by one; the reservation keeps your place.
How long does delivery take?
The quote carries the estimate for your country. For Germany it is about 8 to 12 working days after the order (example).
The step-by-step version is in the guide. Anything else: silas@protoship.dev.