What problem does MHS solve?
Equipment in labs and factories often comes from different vendors and uses different SDKs, languages, GUIs, or even file-drop and legacy Windows interfaces. Connecting several devices usually requires substantial custom integration.
The goal is to describe and onboard each device once, then reuse it through a consistent interface across agents and workflows.
How does MHS work?
- Standardized drivers — map vendor interfaces into simple primitives such as read and write.
- Discoverable manifests — describe device states, procedures, sensors, and network location.
- Physical context — records weight, capabilities, units, and safety limits that code alone cannot fully explain.
- Multiple control paths — connect agents through MCP, CLI, or code APIs.
MHS vs MCP
MCPSoftware & context layer
Connects AI applications to tools, services, and data.
MHSPhysical device layer
Describes, discovers, and safely operates real equipment.
They are complementary, not competing. MHS can expose hardware capabilities to an agent through MCP.
Is MHS open source yet?
Not yet. As of August 28, 2026, MHS remains in a limited research preview. Anthropic says the standard will be open-sourced after safety evaluations and best practices are developed.
Explore the emerging ecosystem
Browse announced adopters, adjacent infrastructure, and transparent evidence statuses.
Browse MHS projects