Agent Orchestration is implemented by OpenClaw, an open-source AI agent runtime that runs as a daemon on the Mac Mini. OpenClaw provides the Gateway — a control plane that routes messages to agents, invokes skills based on context, and bridges multiple communication channels.
The orchestration model is skill-based: the Guide agent receives user messages, and OpenClaw automatically evaluates registered skills based on their descriptions to determine which capabilities to invoke. The LLM decides when to call a skill based on the conversation context — no explicit routing rules needed.
Each capability in the Workbench is registered as an OpenClaw skill with a SKILL.md file containing YAML frontmatter. The frontmatter includes a name and description that act as trigger phrases. When a user message arrives, OpenClaw evaluates all registered skill descriptions against the context and injects the relevant skill instructions into the agent's prompt.
POST /v1/chat/completions — OpenAI-compatible endpoint. Disabled by default; enable in openclaw.json. Supports streaming. This is how the Vercel frontend connects.
ws://127.0.0.1:18789 — Full bidirectional control. JSON text frames with req/res/event types. Used by OpenClaw WebChat and native clients.
POST /tools/invoke — Direct tool execution without going through the agent. Useful for programmatic access to specific capabilities.
POST /api/sessions/{key}/messages — Send messages to specific sessions. Enables persistent conversations across channels.
| Skill | Invocation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Guide (understanding-workbench-guide) | Always active | Ready to register |
| Librarian Ingestion | Auto (model) | Ready to register |
| Librarian Enrichment | Auto (model) | Ready to register |
| Librarian Similarity | Auto (model) | Ready to register |
| Librarian Briefing | Auto (model) | Ready to register |
| Architect (PASS) | Auto (model) | Ready to register |
| Research | Auto (model) | Ready to register |
The OpenClaw Gateway configuration lives at ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json on the Mac Mini. Key settings for the Workbench:
| Setting | Value | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
gateway.port | 18789 | Default Gateway port |
gateway.http.endpoints.chatCompletions.enabled | true | Enable HTTP API for Vercel proxy |
gateway.auth.mode | "token" | Bearer token authentication |
gateway.auth.token | (from 1Password) | Gateway access token |
The Agency Dial — the cross-cutting control that determines how much the system does for vs. with the user — is implemented through OpenClaw's skill invocation controls. Skills can be set to disable-model-invocation: true to require explicit user consent before running (Scaffold Mode), or left as auto-invoked (Instrument Mode). The Guide adjusts its behavior based on the dial setting.