Raspberry Eye

Description

I wanted to do something interesting with my RPi and a 2.4" TFT LCD. Google Glass was hot in the news, so I've decided to hack something similar. The semi-transparent mirror was extracted from Eye of Horus Beamsplitter, and the projection lens is cut from a plastic 3x Fresnel magnifying lens. The box and mounting parts are 3D-printed from ABS. Head strap is for GoPro. One RPi USB port is used for WiFi, and second for 2.4Ghz small wireless keyboard/mouse combo. All together cost around 100$. I haven't figured out a good option for the power supply yet, and don't know if this thing can have a practical application. The display driver is fbtft framebuffer, so both text and (non-accelerated) graphical modes are possible, but with 320x240 resolution using X is not too exciting. Display brightness is sufficient if ambient light is not too bright.

Here is a demo video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCYnIHqwIJU

Details

A drawing of the mounting assembly: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/105504669/rpi_eye.pdf

My copy of notro/fbtft driver with modifications to product the mirror image: https://github.com/genericsoma/fbtft/tree/mirror (there only fb_s6d1121.c is modified, but it should be easy to duplicate for other controllers).

I've bought the beamsplitter here: http://amzn.com/B000NSMODK

The screen is ITDB02-2.4E from ITead Studio

The framebuffer driver for Raspbian is here: https://github.com/notro/fbtft (my version is slightly modified to produce a mirror image)

For the lens look for a "credit card size 3x fresnel magnifying glass"

Components

1 × Raspberry Pi board Mine is 1st Gen B board

1 × 2.4" LCD display I've bought mine from ITead Studio, other sellers have them too

1 × Semi-transparent mirror Not easy to find, the one from Eye of Horus beamsplitter is unfortunately low-quality plastic

1 × Fresnel lens At least 3x

1 × GoPro head strap

Project Logs

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Raspberry Eye grows an eye
genericsoma • 07/06/2014 at 20:43 • 1 comment

Played with RPi Camera Board recently to see if it can be used for simple image-recognition.
Here is the result:
This is produced by this python script using picamera module to capture the image, ZBar bar code reader to find qr-codes and pygame was used to draw stuff. Latency is around 1 sec using 1024x768 image size.
I've realized there exists a problem with using see-through augmented-reality displays: if you need to draw something over a real object, you need to account for the camera offset from the display, which is important for close distances. I don't know how to calculate the correction dynamically without some kind of distance-detection hardware (the best would be to use a depth-sense camera... maybe they need to make one which is RPi-compatible).
I'll try to make a small demo video soon.
Added "mirror" branch on github
genericsoma • 05/28/2014 at 23:12 • 0 comments

I've added the code to produce the mirror image to "mirror" branch: https://github.com/genericsoma/fbtft/tree/mirror
It applies only to S6D1121 controler (fb_s6d1121.c). If should be easy to use the same trick with similar controllers such as ILI9325. Basically the starting address is calculated differently and the so-called GRAM direction is set to the opposite.
Uploaded demo video
genericsoma • 04/24/2014 at 10:19 • 0 comments

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCYnIHqwIJU
Added some details, attempted video demo
genericsoma • 04/23/2014 at 00:36 • 0 comments

Added links to components and mounting assembly drawing to the "details" section. Then tried to make a short video using GoPro, first couple of takes were not good. Will get some sleep, try again in the morning.

View all 4 project logs

Discussions

Esteban wrote 09/14/2019 at 03:38

Hello! May i ask where you found the semi-transparent mirror?

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Griffin sun wrote 10/05/2016 at 17:40

Any STL files for the mounting assembly?

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James Hall wrote 05/16/2016 at 17:19

This is similar to Prof. Steve Mann's stuff from the 80's/early 90's.

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de37421 wrote 03/05/2016 at 16:29

Instead of measuring distance, you might consider a simple low tech approach. Mount a pair of switch activated red lasers, one each side of glasses, angle so dots converge at proper distance, then let user hold target at proper distance. That would eliminate all that additional computing overhead. The converging lights model was used during WWII when the "bouncing bomb" was used to break several dams in Germany. The bombs were given spin, the speed of the plane and the altitude were absolutely critical in causing the bomb to skip, stop at the dam, and sink along the dam, in order to direct the blast energy directly into the dam. Anyway it's old technology but might be useful here

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Graham Toal wrote 10/31/2015 at 22:49

The trick would be to separate the Pi and the display if possible. I had been thinking of a baseball cap with the display on the underside of the brim, and a flip-down mirror for when you wanted to use it. Minimal electronics inside the cap, camera peeking out of an eyelet hole in the front/center of the cap. Then Pi on a belt or something, either attached by a wire or wireless. Also if it's possible to use a second 45degree semitransparent mirror you could have a camera exactly in line with your eye (effectively), then coupled with a laser projector scanning over what you are looking at, you ought to be able to get perfect registration? (same scanning technique as the old light pens - remember those?)

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Martin wrote 10/27/2016 at 08:06

You could put the Pi at the back of the cap. Similar to the headmounted flashlights and their battery pack.

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NicoleK wrote 10/01/2015 at 00:53

Super amazing, you actually build it.

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malvasio wrote 03/07/2015 at 16:56

with a PI 2 it will handle more computing

do you plan to code for it ?

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Birkan wrote 02/23/2015 at 05:11

This is AWESOME. I am looking forward to get raspberry pi 2 to build that!

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radiusmike wrote 02/11/2015 at 23:07

And, job well done. This is nice piece of work.

To add to my earlier comment, consider using a wireless video stream (WHDI or Miracast) to a receiver/projector module. The RasPi would sit on a belt clip and stream video/data wirelessly to the HUD.

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radiusmike wrote 02/11/2015 at 22:59

For your next prototype, I can think of using smaller microdisplays, a DLP or pico laser projector module. A pico laser projector module can be made very small and has multiple placement options. And, it's very bright, but can be toned down due to high bits/pixel and gain ranges.

Mike

Co-founder of Skully Helmets

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Elektron wrote 02/06/2015 at 19:38

and use vga microdisplay a to shrink in an old video camera can be found .

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stopsendingmejunk wrote 01/20/2015 at 18:23

Very cool. Would it be possible to move some of the bulkier components to a belt clip or something?

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JnC.Enterprises wrote 01/16/2015 at 23:17

Great

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CyberGateKeeper wrote 01/02/2015 at 08:42

Wow, amazing! the applications are endless, i would love to collaborate a bit on this and get a version of my own built soon!

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hamzageek wrote 10/11/2014 at 14:27

looks Super Cool

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genericsoma wrote 10/06/2014 at 04:45

I've backed TinyScreen project on kickstarter:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/kenburns/tinyscreen-a-color-display-the-size-of-your-thumb

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Mis012 wrote 08/14/2014 at 09:05

what about using two cameras above each eye? It will be like 3d camera, or not? Or maybe something to get position of your finger, so you can manipulate with virtual objects?
I'm intrested in this, I'll make my own soon.

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genericsoma wrote 10/06/2014 at 05:23

Rpi can only support one camera, AFAIK, and probably has not enough processing power for real-time manipulation.

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Mis012 wrote 10/22/2014 at 16:45

I think that I've seen a tutorial about adding more cameras, but you can always use USB cannot you?

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flaco wrote 07/03/2014 at 21:40

Hello, awesome project here !
Have you thought about replacing the screen, miror + lens(?) by an OLED screen? :)

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genericsoma wrote 10/06/2014 at 05:24

Yes, only there were no cheap screens compatible with Rpi. Now I hope TinyScreen will be available next year.

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Aleksandar Bradic wrote 07/02/2014 at 22:15

Wahoo, you're on CNET!: http://www.cnet.com/pictures/bold-hardware-hacks-vie-for-a-trip-to-space-pictures/3/

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surperdearm wrote 06/11/2014 at 11:25

Do you want to sale one to me?

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flaco wrote 07/03/2014 at 21:40

You can make one by yourself as well; that's the point of this community, I think.

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Raspberry Eye

Description

Details

Components

Project Logs

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Raspberry Eye grows an eye

Added "mirror" branch on github

Uploaded demo video

Added some details, attempted video demo

Discussions

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