Build VX-ORB v2: Mobile Ambient Robot Research Prototype
Budget / Salary$250–750
TypeFreelance project
LocationRemote
Posted1 hour ago
I’m looking for a robotics engineer to build **one working VX-ORB v2 robot and charging dock** for supervised indoor research demonstrations. Please provide your own itemized fixed-price estimate and schedule for the complete scope.
The attached graphic shows the intended appearance: a clean egg-shaped shell with a slightly wider lower section, one thin LED band around the middle, a discreet front camera, and subtle VX-ORB v2 branding.
## Robot and dock
The ORB should have two independently driven wheels and a small central ball caster underneath for stability. Movement should be quiet and controlled, with smooth starts, stops, and turns. Include front, left, and right obstacle sensing, tilt sensing, an impact bumper, and a serviceable enclosure. Keep sensor openings small and integrated into the lower shell.
The charging dock should follow the supplied photo’s **open-bottom horseshoe design**. Side guides should lead the ORB to matching rear charging contacts. The path between the guides must remain open to the floor, with no tray, ramp, lip, or threshold for the wheels to climb. Supply a correctly matched charger with a U.S. plug.
The ORB should **return to its dock on command and when its battery is low**, locate and align with the dock, make contact, and confirm charging. Please describe your proposed navigation and docking method, its operating limits, and how you will handle and test failed approaches.
## Controls and interaction
Use an ESP32-S3 class controller for local motor and sensor safety, with additional processing hardware if needed for camera, speech, and recording. The prototype should support voice commands, basic conversation, marker-based visual goals, a local operator console, and wired USB setup and recovery.
Defined commands, especially **stop**, must remain available without a hosted conversational service. Disclose any proposed hosted services and their estimated usage costs. The LED band should communicate a restrained set of states, including idle, listening, processing, moving, charging, and alert. Speaking, blocked motion, faults, and dock status should also be distinguishable through suitable light patterns or variations.
## Key demonstration
An operator says, **“ORB, go to the blue station.”** In a small supervised test lane, the ORB identifies a marked target and proposes a short movement. A local reference policy gateway permits, restricts, or blocks that action. The ORB moves only when permitted, while its local controller independently stops for an obstacle, bumper, tilt, physical STOP, stale command, or charging condition.
When a soft obstacle is introduced, the ORB stops and proposes a bounded alternative or asks for help. The console should record the request, observation, proposed action, policy decision, motor command, and actual outcome. The demonstration should be repeatable across three trials.
## Build quality, delivery, and acceptance
**The robot must be built to survive shipping and normal handling without wires, connectors, boards, sensors, or charging contacts coming loose.** Secure and strain-relieve all internal wiring, mount components firmly, protect moving parts, and package the robot and dock for shipment. A bench demonstration before shipping is required, but it does not replace testing after arrival.
Deliver the assembled robot and dock, firmware and host software, source code, CAD/STL files, wiring diagram or schematic, pin map, BOM and suppliers, setup and recovery instructions, and exportable telemetry and Decision Records linked to camera evidence.
After delivery to the **United States**, conduct a live remote acceptance session so I can configure, control, recover, and reflash the unit from my Windows laptop and verify the agreed demonstrations on the delivered hardware. Include a 14-day period to correct defects against the agreed acceptance tests. **Final payment will be released only after the robot and dock arrive in the United States and pass owner acceptance.**
In your proposal, please include your **itemized fixed-price estimate**, proposed architecture, relevant experience, schedule, shipping method and cost, lead times, recurring service costs, and principal technical risks. The graphic is a design reference; the mechanical and electrical details must be engineered and tested.
The attached graphic shows the intended appearance: a clean egg-shaped shell with a slightly wider lower section, one thin LED band around the middle, a discreet front camera, and subtle VX-ORB v2 branding.
## Robot and dock
The ORB should have two independently driven wheels and a small central ball caster underneath for stability. Movement should be quiet and controlled, with smooth starts, stops, and turns. Include front, left, and right obstacle sensing, tilt sensing, an impact bumper, and a serviceable enclosure. Keep sensor openings small and integrated into the lower shell.
The charging dock should follow the supplied photo’s **open-bottom horseshoe design**. Side guides should lead the ORB to matching rear charging contacts. The path between the guides must remain open to the floor, with no tray, ramp, lip, or threshold for the wheels to climb. Supply a correctly matched charger with a U.S. plug.
The ORB should **return to its dock on command and when its battery is low**, locate and align with the dock, make contact, and confirm charging. Please describe your proposed navigation and docking method, its operating limits, and how you will handle and test failed approaches.
## Controls and interaction
Use an ESP32-S3 class controller for local motor and sensor safety, with additional processing hardware if needed for camera, speech, and recording. The prototype should support voice commands, basic conversation, marker-based visual goals, a local operator console, and wired USB setup and recovery.
Defined commands, especially **stop**, must remain available without a hosted conversational service. Disclose any proposed hosted services and their estimated usage costs. The LED band should communicate a restrained set of states, including idle, listening, processing, moving, charging, and alert. Speaking, blocked motion, faults, and dock status should also be distinguishable through suitable light patterns or variations.
## Key demonstration
An operator says, **“ORB, go to the blue station.”** In a small supervised test lane, the ORB identifies a marked target and proposes a short movement. A local reference policy gateway permits, restricts, or blocks that action. The ORB moves only when permitted, while its local controller independently stops for an obstacle, bumper, tilt, physical STOP, stale command, or charging condition.
When a soft obstacle is introduced, the ORB stops and proposes a bounded alternative or asks for help. The console should record the request, observation, proposed action, policy decision, motor command, and actual outcome. The demonstration should be repeatable across three trials.
## Build quality, delivery, and acceptance
**The robot must be built to survive shipping and normal handling without wires, connectors, boards, sensors, or charging contacts coming loose.** Secure and strain-relieve all internal wiring, mount components firmly, protect moving parts, and package the robot and dock for shipment. A bench demonstration before shipping is required, but it does not replace testing after arrival.
Deliver the assembled robot and dock, firmware and host software, source code, CAD/STL files, wiring diagram or schematic, pin map, BOM and suppliers, setup and recovery instructions, and exportable telemetry and Decision Records linked to camera evidence.
After delivery to the **United States**, conduct a live remote acceptance session so I can configure, control, recover, and reflash the unit from my Windows laptop and verify the agreed demonstrations on the delivered hardware. Include a 14-day period to correct defects against the agreed acceptance tests. **Final payment will be released only after the robot and dock arrive in the United States and pass owner acceptance.**
In your proposal, please include your **itemized fixed-price estimate**, proposed architecture, relevant experience, schedule, shipping method and cost, lead times, recurring service costs, and principal technical risks. The graphic is a design reference; the mechanical and electrical details must be engineered and tested.
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