About

Name: Salvius
OS: Ubuntu
Height: 6 feet
Weight: 164 lbs
DOF: 24
Modality: Biped (Upcoming)
Control: Autonomous and Wireless control
Max operating time: 2 to 3 hours
Materials and Cost: (See BOM)

---

About the Robot:

Salvius is an open-source humanoid robot designed to be able to perform a wide range of tasks by having a body structure that is similar to human beings. Salvius is the first open source humanoid robot to be built in the United States. Being open source means that all of the robot's source code is freely available.

About the Name:

The name 'Salvius' is a bit unconventional for a robot. I chose it because it is an unconventional name for a robot and it fit the robot's unique character. The name itself dates back to the time of the ancient Romans, but it seem oddly fitting because so much of the robot has been salvaged from old electronics and re-purposed materials. The original goal for this robot was to recycle and make it as affordable to build as possible.

Purpose for Building this Robot:

The primary goal for Salvius is to create a humanoid robot that will be able to function dynamically in a domestic environment. Salvius is made from the best materials that I have found to be readily available. This has greatly reduced the cost of building the robot.

So why did I choose to build a humanoid robot? Robots are often victims of specialization. There are tons of incredibly successful robots such as the Roomba vacuum robot or the Jeopardy playing robot named Watson. These robots preform better than all others at a specific task but both robots are completely incapable of doing anything other than what they were designed to do. Humanoid robots can conduct a wide variety of actions just like regular humans and this gives them a huge advantage when it comes to conducting more complex tasks.

How Salvius Works:

Salvius's main computer receives information from a small micro-controller that handles several tasks. The micro-controller measures input from sensors in Salvius's head and uses them to make appropriate decision, for instance; if it is dark enough the robots headlights will turn on. The laptop receives images from a webcam that can be viewed by a user connected to it wirelessly. The robot has its own built-in wireless router that is connected to the main computer. When a user logs into the router they can enter an ip number in their web browser which will allow then to control the robot. That means that no instillation is has to be made in order to control what the robot does. That also means that anyone with a laptop, tablet computer, web-enabled phone, or any other web-enabled device can remotely control the robot.

Additional features:

-High power LED headlights (white or ultraviolet light).
-Night Vision

Sensors:

 - light intensity
 - PIR (passive inferred)
 -  video [camera (night vision capable)]
 - ultrasonic distance finder
 - sound/vibration (mic)

Control Panel:

Salvius has a built-in wireless router and is designed to allow anyone with the correct password to login to the robot and control in manually via a graphic interface (image bellow). Since the software is installed on the robot, all the user needs is a computer with a working internet connection and a browser. More advanced users can login and write more complex programs using ssh.

Experimental Components & Future Upgrades:

• Decreasing the robot's weight without compromising structural integrity.
• Self managed power supply (robot seeks a place to recharge when its battery gets low).
• Ability to diagnose and make self repairs.
• Eventually I would like to experiment with options for power sources for the robot.
• Addition of the folllowing sensors and tools:
•  volt meter
• current detector
• barometric pressure sensor
• hydrometer
• radiation (Geiger counter)
• mettle detector
• compass/magnetic field
• pressure
• temperature
• accelerometer
• gyroscope

As the robot becomes more sophisticated many environmental variables should be taken into consideration. The robot should be able to resist various amounts of heat, moisture, magnetism and power surges.