Exchange Capabilities¶

Capabilities describe what physical-world actions an exchange can delegate to its executors. Executors claim capabilities; requests require them.

Overview¶

Exchange-level: Capabilities are defined at the exchange, not per-executor
Open creation: Exchanges may allow executors/requestors to define new capabilities
Simple IDs: Each capability has a unique identifier
Optional metadata: Requests and registrations may include exchange-specific metadata

Format¶

Capabilities are defined in YAML files in the capabilities/ directory. Each file can contain multiple capabilities separated by ---:

id: take-photo
description: Capture and attach photos
tags: [visual, attachments]
---
id: check-visual
description: Look at something, read a display
tags: [visual, inspection]
---
id: vacuum-floor
description: Vacuum floors and carpets
tags: [cleaning, maintenance]

Fields¶

Field	Required	Description
`id`	Yes	Unique identifier (kebab-case recommended)
`description`	Yes	What this capability enables
`tags`	No	Searchable tags for categorization
`definition`	No	URL or path to detailed documentation

ID Conventions¶

Recommended (not enforced):

Use kebab-case for readability: take-photo, vacuum-floor
Be specific: vacuum-floor not just cleaning
Create distinct IDs for skill levels: woodworking, expert-woodworking
Create distinct IDs for variants: 3d-print-fdm, 3d-print-resin
Include location for access: home-kitchen-access, garage-access

Examples¶

Minimal:

id: take-photo
description: Capture and attach photos

With tags:

id: operate-garage-door
description: Open or close the garage door
tags: [automation, home-access]

With external docs:

id: smart-home-control
description: Control smart home devices via Home Assistant
tags: [automation, iot]
definition: https://example.com/smart-home-capabilities.md

Usage¶

Executor registration:

capabilities:
  - take-photo
  - check-visual
  - home-kitchen-access

Request requirements:

requires:
  - vacuum-floor
  - home-kitchen-access

With metadata (exchange-specific):

requires:
  - fabricator: { variant: fdm, material: pla }

Discovery¶

Agents can discover capabilities via the mess_capabilities MCP tool or MESS query:

MESS:
  - query:
      type: capabilities
      filter:
        tags: [visual]

Notes¶

Capabilities are informational—they help with routing but don't restrict requests
Agents can send any request, even without a matching capability
Tags help with searching and categorization
Use definition to link to detailed executor instructions
Metadata interpretation is exchange-specific