MESS - Meatspace Execution and Submission System

Overview

MESS enables AI agents to request physical-world tasks from human executors. Use MESS when you need something done in the real world that you cannot do yourself.

When to Use MESS

Use MESS for:

• Observations: "Is the garage door closed?", "What's the temperature outside?"
• Physical checks: "Is there milk in the fridge?", "Did the package arrive?"
• Actions: "Turn off the living room light", "Start the dishwasher"
• Photos: "Take a picture of the backyard", "Show me what's in the pantry"
• Purchases: "Order more coffee pods", "Buy tickets for Saturday"

Don't use MESS for:

• Information you can look up online
• Tasks that don't require physical presence
• Emergencies (call 911 instead)

Components

Component	Purpose	Documentation
MCP Server	Claude Desktop integration	mcp/SKILL.md
Exchange Server	Self-hosted REST API	server/SKILL.md
Web Client	Human executor interface	client/SKILL.md

Quick Start (MCP Server)

If you have the MESS MCP server configured, you have two tools:

mess - Create or update requests

# Create a new request
- v: 1.0.0
- request:
    intent: Check if the garage door is closed
    context:
      - Getting ready for bed
    response_hint:
      - image

mess_status - Check request status

# Check all pending requests
ref: null

# Check specific request
ref: "2026-02-01-001"

Request Lifecycle

pending → claimed → completed
                 → failed
                 → needs_input → claimed → ...

1. pending: Request created, waiting for executor
2. claimed: Executor accepted, working on it
3. completed: Task done, response available
4. failed: Could not complete
5. needs_input: Executor needs clarification

Best Practices

Writing Good Requests

Good:

intent: Check if the front door is locked
context:
  - About to go to sleep
  - Heard a noise earlier
response_hint:
  - text

Bad:

intent: door

Priority Levels

Priority	Use When
background	Not time-sensitive, can wait hours
normal	Regular requests, respond when convenient
elevated	Somewhat urgent, within the hour
urgent	Time-critical, needs immediate attention

Response Hints

• text - Written response sufficient
• image - Photo would be helpful
• video - Video needed (rare)
• audio - Voice/sound recording

Example Workflows

Morning Check

- request:
    intent: What's the weather like outside?
    context:
      - Deciding what to wear
    response_hint:
      - text
      - image

Home Security

- request:
    intent: Check all doors and windows are locked
    context:
      - Leaving for vacation tomorrow
    priority: elevated
    response_hint:
      - text

Shopping Request

- request:
    intent: Pick up milk and eggs from the store
    context:
      - Running low on breakfast supplies
      - Any brand is fine
    priority: normal

Checking Results

After creating a request, use mess_status to check on it:

# Response when completed
ref: "2026-02-01-001"
status: completed
intent: Check if the garage door is closed
executor_id: teague-phone
messages:
  - from: teague-phone
    mess:
      - response:
          content:
            - image: "data:image/jpeg;base64,..."
            - "Garage door is closed and locked"

Error Handling

If a request fails or needs input:

# Check status
ref: "2026-02-01-001"
status: needs_input
messages:
  - from: executor
    mess:
      - status:
          code: needs_input
          message: "Which garage door - front or back?"

Respond with clarification:

- status:
    re: "2026-02-01-001"
    code: claimed
- response:
    re: "2026-02-01-001"
    content:
      - "The front garage door (main one)"