cactus-compute/needle
Automation foundation model for tiny devices: 2-bit, 8-29 MB, tool calls, ASR, structured extraction and embeddings on phones, wearables, smart homes, robots, cars and microcontrollers.
⚡ Executive Summary & Quick Facts
Authoritative Sourceneedle is needle is an open-source project written in Python: Automation foundation model for tiny devices: 2-bit, 8-29 MB, tool calls, ASR, structured extraction and embeddings on phones, wearables, smart homes, robots, cars and microcontrollers..
| Repository | cactus-compute/needle ↗ |
|---|---|
| Primary Category | cactus |
| Language & Stack | Python |
| Software License | Apache-2.0 |
| Community Traction | ★ 14.1K stars · ⑂ 1.1K forks · #1,033 globally |
| Maintenance | ● Active (Last commit: Oct 18, 2026) · 4 open issues |
| Target Audience | Developers and engineering teams building with Python, seeking reliable, tested, and actively maintained tooling for production workloads. |
Star History
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+352
STARS · LAST 30 DAYS
12
PER DAY
#171
MOST-STARRED Python
| Window | 7 days | 30 days | 90 days |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stars gained | +84 | +352 | +1.1K |
| Per day | 12 | 12 | 12 |
| Forks gained | +5 | +22 | +54 |
needle gained 352 stars in the last 30 days, about 12 a day, and now has 14.1K. It is about 1 year old and has averaged roughly 14.1K stars a year. It ranks #171 among Python repositories and #1,033 across all languages on GitHubRepo.
Trending Record
2
DAYS ON TRENDING
#5142
BEST RANK
Oct 19, 2026
FIRST APPEARANCE
Active
STATUS TODAY
needle has maintained a continuous presence across global trending indexes, peaking at #5142. Below is the 30-day activity profile:
💡 Overview
needle is an open-source project written in Python: Automation foundation model for tiny devices: 2-bit, 8-29 MB, tool calls, ASR, structured extraction and embeddings on phones, wearables, smart homes, robots, cars and microcontrollers.
Engineered for speed, consistency, and developer ease, it solves common hurdles in cactus, edge-ai, foundation-model. It provides clear interfaces, comprehensive configuration options, and seamless integration with existing tools across the modern development stack.
⚡ Key Features
Optimized execution pipeline written in Python for predictable speed.
Zero-friction configuration with comprehensive sensible defaults out of the box.
Cross-platform runtime support across Linux, macOS, and Windows environments.
Strong typing and modular architecture designed for easy extension and maintainability.
Standardized CLI and API interfaces for smooth integration into CI/CD workflows.
Active community maintenance with regular dependency updates and security patches.
📥 Installation
$ pip install needle⚙ System Requirements
Platforms
- • macOS
- • Linux
- • Windows
Runtime & Dependencies
Python >= 3.9, pip, virtualenv
Architecture
x86_64, ARM64 (Apple Silicon & Graviton)
🧠 How It Works
needle coordinates its core functionality through a modular Python pipeline. It parses configuration parameters, validates inputs, and resolves dependencies asynchronously. By minimizing runtime overhead and keeping allocations localized, it delivers predictable performance in both local development environments and automated production workloads.
🎯 Production Use Cases
Autonomous AI Agents
Orchestrate intelligent workflows and tool-calling routines with needle.
Model Inference & Prompting
Integrate fast, local or cloud-hosted generative AI models directly into production code.
Context Memory & RAG
Augment language models with dynamic vector retrieval and structured project memory.
Developer Productivity
Automate repetitive engineering tasks, code generation, and test creation using AI agents.
🚀 Getting Started
Install needle using your package manager: `pip install needle`
Initialize your project workspace or configuration file for needle.
Import needle into your codebase or invoke it directly from your terminal.
Execute your test suite or run `needle --help` to verify successful setup.
👍 Strengths
⚠️ Considerations
⇄ Alternatives & Direct Competitors
👥 Who Should Use This
Developers and engineering teams building with Python, seeking reliable, tested, and actively maintained tooling for production workloads.
🏆 Nearby in the Rankings
cactus-compute/needle is currently ranked #1,033 by stars across every repository tracked on GitHubRepo. These are adjacent projects:
| Rank | Repository | Language | Stars | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1,028 | e2b-dev/E2B | Python | ★ 14.2K | Compare ↗ |
| #1,029 | phpstan/phpstan | PHP | ★ 14.1K | Compare ↗ |
| #1,030 | EasyTier/EasyTier | Rust | ★ 14.1K | Compare ↗ |
| #1,031 | cert-manager/cert-manager | Go | ★ 14.1K | Compare ↗ |
| #1,032 | juice-shop/juice-shop | TypeScript | ★ 14.1K | Compare ↗ |
| #1,033 | cactus-compute/needle This Project | Python | ★ 14.1K | |
| #1,034 | thunderbird/thunderbird-android | Kotlin | ★ 14.1K | Compare ↗ |
| #1,035 | apache/druid | Java | ★ 14.1K | Compare ↗ |
| #1,036 | siteboon/claudecodeui | TypeScript | ★ 14K | Compare ↗ |
| #1,037 | semantica-agi/semantica | Python | ★ 14K | Compare ↗ |
| #1,038 | vercel/satori | TypeScript | ★ 14K | Compare ↗ |
Frequently Asked Questions
What does needle do? +
Automation foundation model for tiny devices: 2-bit, 8-29 MB, tool calls, ASR, structured extraction and embeddings on phones, wearables, smart homes, robots, cars and microcontrollers.
What language is needle written in? +
The primary language is Python. Topics include: cactus, edge-ai, foundation-model, function-calling, llm.
Is needle actively maintained? +
Yes, the last recorded push was on Oct 18, 2026 with 4 open issues being tracked.
How many stars does needle have? +
needle has 14,086 stars and 1,079 forks on GitHub.
How does needle rank among GitHub repositories? +
With 14,086 stars, cactus-compute/needle is ranked #1,033 globally across all repositories tracked on GitHubRepo and #171 among Python projects.
What license is needle distributed under? +
The repository reports a Apache-2.0 license. Always verify the repository LICENSE file for legal terms.
