The Emissary Project will be an attempt to build a cheap portable robotic telepresence device from a raspberry pi.

Just to warn readers of this blog, I know very little about linux or robotics. I have some basic electronics training from quite a few years ago. Just about every aspect of this project will be a learning experience for me. I only hope the I-don’t-know-what-I-am-doing approach might be useful to some of the other newbies to this kind project.

Here is the basic idea. There are a number of projects already that use skype and a linux device to remotely control a robot over the internet. Some are even fully fledged telepresence devices. A raspberry pi, webcam, speaker, a wifi device or broadband device and a few other items to make something my wife can carry around when she is on trips.

Phase 1 – Proof of concept

Build the Raspberry Pi into will automatically accept a skype call, send audio and video, receive audio. It will do this over a wifi connection. No robotics in this build or any kind a special case.

Phase 2 – Basic working model

Build the body for the Emissary. The design my wife and I have in mind will be ball jointed doll and will ultimately look like a steampunk persacom. The doll will have the ability to turn, lift and lower its head. It will mostly likely connect to a pay-as-you-go broadband adapter for this phase.

Phase 3 – completed project

The Emissary will have at least one working robotic arm with a minimum of three points of articulation (enough to wave)

Phase4 – Super impossible never gonna happen

Complete, full size, completely articulated  mock up of Jonny 5.  For interface two arm sleeves, facial recognition to control Jonny’s eyebrows/eyelids. Voice changer to adjust my voice appropriately. Then trundle around downtown with it.