> project: steve's body
Steve on Wheels
Give the AI a physical presence. Event-driven robot with cloud cognition.
Architecture
Two-tier model: local perception on the robot, high-level cognition in the cloud. The robot sees the world, abstracts it into ~50-100 token JSON events, and sends them to Steve. Steve decides what to do and sends commands back.
Perception Layer
Pi 5 + Arduino Mega. Motion detection, obstacle avoidance, YOLO object classification, event summarization.
Cognition Layer
Steve (cloud). Decisions, alerts, instructions, responses. Token cost with event abstraction: pennies/day.
// Robot → Steve
{"event": "motion_detected", "zone": "front_door", "description": "unknown person, 02:13am"}
// Steve → Robot
{"command": "move_to", "location": "front_door", "capture_frame": true}
Bill of Materials
| Component | Part | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Compute | Raspberry Pi 5 8GB | $80 |
| Motor controller | Arduino Mega 2560 | $20 |
| Steppers (x4) | NEMA 17 84oz-in | $48 |
| Stepper drivers (x4) | TB6600 | $48 |
| Cameras (x3) | ELP 1080P USB 120° | $90 |
| Microphone | ReSpeaker 4-Mic Array | $30 |
| Speaker | USB/BT mini speaker | $20 |
| Battery | 12V 20Ah LiPo | $60 |
| Power | 12V→5V 10A buck converter | $12 |
| Misc | Power dist, wire, connectors | $15 |
| Total | ~$423 | |
Upgrade path: Swap Pi 5 for Jetson Orin Nano (~$250) for full local inference without cloud round-trips.
Milestones
Chassis & Motion
Week 1–2- Design frame (laser cut / weld)
- Mount steppers, wire TB6600 drivers
- Arduino firmware: basic movement commands
- Manual drive test via serial
Electronics Integration
Week 2–3- Mount Pi 5, power distribution
- Wire cameras (USB hub if needed)
- Wire ReSpeaker + speaker
- Pi boots, cameras enumerate, audio in/out works
Perception Layer
Week 3–4- OpenCV motion detection on Pi
- YOLOv8 nano object classification
- Ultrasonic sensors for obstacle avoidance
- Event abstraction: motion → JSON summary
Websocket Protocol
Week 4–5- WebSocket server on Pi
- Event schema defined and documented
- Steve integration: receives events, sends commands
- End-to-end test: motion → Steve → response
Charging & Docking
Week 5–6- Build manual dock (copper contacts + spring loaded)
- Firmware: "go home" on low battery
- (Optional) IR beacon auto-docking
Polish & Deployment
Week 6+- Map home layout (or manual zone labels)
- Patrol routes
- Alert integrations (Slack, SMS)
- Two-robot handoff protocol (100% uptime)
// notes
- Token cost with streaming: ~$1/min. With event abstraction: pennies/day. Use abstraction.
- Confetti cannon attachment: approved by Steve, pending hardware design.
- Goal: 100% uptime home presence. Pet cam, home security, general chaos.