For [Tony]’s entry for The Hackaday Prize, he’s doing something we’ve all seen before – a head mounted display, connected to a Bluetooth module, displaying information from a smartphone. What we haven’t seen before is a cheap version of this tech, and a version of Google Glass that folds – you know, like every other pair of glasses on the planet – edges this project over from ‘interesting’ to ‘nearly practical’.
For the display, [Tony] is using a 0.96″ OLED connected to an Arduino Nano. This screen is directed into the wearer’s eye with a series of optics that, along with every other part of the frame, was 3D printed on a Solidoodle 2. The frame itself not only folds along the temples, but also along the bridge, making this HMD surprisingly compact when folded up.
Everything displayed on this head mounted display is controlled by either an Android phone or a Bluetooth connection to a desktop. Using relatively simple display means [Tony] is limited to text and extremely simple graphics, but this is more than enough for some very interesting applications; reading SMS messages and checking email is easy, and doesn’t overpower the ‘duino.
The project featured in this post is an entry in The Hackaday Prize. Build something awesome and win a trip to space or hundreds of other prizes.
Kickstarter this thing and see it kick off!
I’d kick a few bucks his way to help him get going and possibly get one of my own!
Better? By who’s definition? It’s a neat cosplay looking prototype, but sorry, until they get the display a whole lot smaller, it’s not “better”.
For $60, I am willing to cut him some slack. It will improve with time.
if this guy can make it for $60, walmart can make it for $20 in a box, in the kid’s toy isle.
Not saying you are, but this honestly sounds like the typical response from a glass fanboy. What’s better about this is the price point and folding features, whereas it may lack in other aspects.
actually, it sounds like a typical response from FartFace
Should be simple to give it ‘Glass’ like specifications with a galaxy mini or some other tiny android phone, possibly there is even an android media player without cell radios. HMD proof of concept, and even got the optics and folding. Raspi on a SODIMM module might even give this model a big upgrade in performance, or that DIY BGA ARM board featured on HAD recently.
This is soo much better, by anyone’s definition. This could be paired with cheap infrared FPV setup on a stick, and BAM block ops just got more successful! Better is often found in cheap, not quality, just look at the Nokia phones that once ruled the world.
DIY Glasshole?
Folding, what a nuisance. Hinges are the weak spots where it will break. And it’s then much more ugly with these joints all over the frame.
Without folding its a PITA to take it off when you enter a Cinema/Toilet/’Glaas free zone’!
Honestly all this needs is some Cut Blue lens and get rid of the pathetic Duino and just have a permanent display powered from a button cap Lithium showing
“OVER 9000”
for recording you can buy a glass camera on ebay for 20$. they have been available for 10 years ago.
I just don’t understand why they continue to make them wireless. I’m perfectly happy with my wired headphones, I’d be happy with a wired HUD running from my phone.
You could use the phones native HDMI out for video, standard audio jack for mic/headphones, and then a bluetooth glove to control it.
With that setup it could practically be manufacturer independent. Vizux could make it with different plugs for android/iphone/Windows.
Just need some way to tell the phone to go into HUD mode, similar to dashmode for driving or desktop dock.