Show HN: Clawphone – Twilio voice/SMS gateway for AI agents using TwiML polling (github.com)

A new project called Clawphone has emerged, designed as a Node.js HTTP gateway that connects Twilio voice calls and SMS to AI agents using OpenClaw. Unlike the existing @openclaw/voice-call plugin, which utilizes Twilio Media Streams for enhanced audio quality and speed but requires extensive infrastructure, Clawphone simplifies the setup. It leverages TwiML webhook polling to utilize Twilio's built-in speech services, eliminating the need for external Text-to-Speech (TTS) or Speech-to-Text (STT) accounts. By trading off some latency and voice quality, Clawphone offers an accessible solution for integrating AI agents with Twilio's services, particularly well-suited for personal or low-traffic deployments. This development is significant for the AI/ML community as it lowers the barrier to entry for implementing AI-driven voice and SMS interactions, allowing developers to deploy solutions with minimal infrastructure. Clawphone can be run as a standalone server or as an OpenClaw plugin, making it versatile in various deployment scenarios. The architecture’s reliance on standard HTTP protocols and simple environment variable-based configuration enhances its appeal, particularly for those looking to get started quickly without the complexities of WebSockets and additional dependencies. Future support for more advanced features such as Media Streams may be introduced based on user demand, providing a pathway for scalability and enhanced functionality.