BUILT FOR WHEN THE INTERNET IS GONE
Local AI + LoRa mesh radio + off-grid payments.
Runs on your hardware. No servers. No accounts. No internet required.
Blackbox Node combines a fully local AI, a LoRa mesh radio interface, and an off-grid payment layer into a single self-contained application that runs on commodity hardware — no cloud, no servers, no infrastructure.
Runs a quantized LLM via llama.cpp entirely on your machine.
No API keys, no cloud calls. Other mesh nodes can query it over radio
with @bot or !ask.
Bridges to a Meshtastic device over USB serial. Tracks all nodes, telemetry, battery levels, GPS position, and environment sensors. Range: 5–15 km per hop, no towers needed.
Built-in Bitcoin HD wallet and Cashu ecash wallet. Cashu tokens are plain text — send them over radio as messages. Economic activity over a mesh: no internet, no processors.
The installer auto-downloads the llama.cpp runtime, a starter GGUF model, and sets up Python deps for Meshtastic. Requires Node.js 18+ and Python 3.11+.
Each Blackbox Node acts as both an AI host and a mesh repeater. Messages hop through nodes until they reach one running the AI. The response travels back the same way — entirely over radio.
Plug in any Meshtastic-compatible LoRa device via USB. The app auto-detects it and installs the Python bridge. No config needed.
From any Meshtastic device in range, send @bot your question or !ask anything. The message routes through the mesh to your node.
llama.cpp loads your chosen GGUF model. The response is generated fully on-device, then broadcast back over the mesh to the requester.
Cashu ecash tokens are plain text strings. Copy one into a message, send it over radio. The recipient redeems it when connectivity returns.
No plugins, no configuration hell. Works on a fresh machine after two commands.
llama.cpp runs locally. No API keys. Choose models from 0.5B to 3B+ based on your hardware. Auto-downloaded on install.
Send @bot or !ask from any Meshtastic device in range. The mesh routes it, the AI answers, the response routes back.
Download, switch, or delete GGUF models from a curated list via the web UI Settings panel. No terminal needed after first install.
Plug in your Meshtastic device and it just works. Serial port auto-detection with reconnect UI and port selection.
Battery, SNR, GPS position, environment sensors — all tracked per node. Query nodes or weather over the mesh.
All inbound and outbound Meshtastic messages logged and browsable. Direct messages and channel broadcasts both supported.
BIP-39 mnemonic, HD derivation, on-chain receive. QR code generation for addresses and Lightning invoices.
Bearer tokens as plain text. Send over radio, hold offline, melt to Lightning when connected. No counterparty needed at transfer time.
Everything stored in ./data/ — messages, nodes, wallet, settings, Cashu proofs. No external databases, no telemetry.
Any Meshtastic-compatible LoRa device works. Plug it in, and Blackbox Node handles the rest.
Compact ESP32-based module. Great starter device, built-in OLED display.
Built-in GPS + battery management. Best for portable or vehicle nodes.
Modular system, highly configurable. Great for permanent installations.
Card-sized GPS tracker form factor. Ultra portable, long battery life.
Node.js + Python + a GGUF model. No radio, no internet. Full web UI, local chat with the AI, wallet functions.
Everything above plus a Meshtastic device connected via USB. Becomes an AI gateway and radio node for the entire mesh.
This project is free and open source. If it's useful — in a blackout, off the grid, or just for the idea — consider sending something to keep development going. All chains accepted. No accounts, no platforms.