Tailor Made Toys
by F00 f00
DIY Portable Augmented Reality Headset
DIY AR Headset.
First thing I should probably say here is that I built this without even thinking what its function would be. I just thought it would be cool to add a cam to the front of my Eye-Trek goggles. As it turned out these where ideal for use with augmented reality applications. I am also working on putting them to use for other software. Such as gps overlays and night vision (like being the terminator, but more scrawny.
Screen grab of augmented reality.
I bought the headset from eBay a few years ago thinking they’d be cool for use with my Wii. This was kinda true, but with one problem. The Wii is really best played (imo) with friends, it’s kind of a group activity, hence the name. Using them with a head mounted display takes that part out of the equation since the person using them is the only one who can see what’s going on in the game. So this is how I found myself alone in my room playing golf with a headset on in my pants. To be honest I felt more than a little silly (not helped by my lack of curtains). So they Eye Treks went back in the box until a few days ago.
Full how too after the break . . .
AR head set in action
Parts needed
Eye Trek Head set
Laptop web cam (the kind that are embedded in the bezel)
Optional
Mini usb socket
Eee PC (So your totally mobile)
VGA to composite converter (you only need this if you don’t have TV out on your graphics card)
The Build
This part was very simple and would recommend it to any one with moderate to good soldering skills. Stage one is to get some eye trek glasses (there’s newer head mounted displays but Eye Trek’s are cheap). I got mine from eBay. If you are buying some, wait till you find some selling with the wireless add on. These tend to go for around the same price and it’s a nice add on.
The other must have is a laptop webcam. These are also available on eBay. You must get the type that’s meant to go inside the screen bezel. These are the only ones that are going to fit. Choosing the right one is going to depend on budget, but try to get one with a good frame rate.
Case drilled.
So first job is to crack open the glasses. This is simple but be very careful to not get any dust in there as it will annoy the hell out of you later. I put the main chunk of the glasses in a zip lock bag until I need them.
Then your going to need to drill a hole in the center of the front of the casing. I use a manual hand drill so I don’t make t0 much mess. I drill the hole smaller than I need and the file it out until the cameras lens fitted in snugly. Once this is done I would recommend checking you cams going to fit. So pop it in the hole and see if your case closes. It shouldn’t be an issue as these cams are built to be as slim as possible.
This is the sort of cam your after. I just used the one out of the EeePC. Also note the use of blue tack. I love that stuff.
Next job is to wire up your camera. These are usb based (well all the ones I’ve came across have been. If yours isn’t sell it on and get one that is). They also tend to be laid out in the normal fashion. They will most likely have a connector. I personally removed this but you may just want to cut the wire down and use the ends of the wire as your solder point. Either way you’re going to want to find out which point is ground. So test that with a multi meter. From there the pin out should be obvious. Solder 4 wires to the corresponding points.
The cam fully installed. I used hot glue to hold it in place.
Next part is optional. I added a mini usb port to the glasses. This was so I could use different length usb cables or I could just remove it if I wasn’t using the cam. You could just solder a usb cable directly to the cam. All I did to achieve this was cut a hole in the corner of the case and file it till it was mini usb shaped. Then solder a mini usb to the wires from the cam and glue the whole thing in place.
Ok, now close the case up, hook up to your pc and you’re done :)
Thats the complete set up. Fits in a small back pack and is totally portable.
What you do next is up to you. I looked around the web and found a few AR programs and tried them out. Best is probably Camspace, as with this you can control your pc with your hands! I used an EeePC, this way I could wander around my house with the pc in my backpack.
Further Plans.
I am not sure exactly what I am going to do with this next but one idea is to have gps data appear in the corner of the screen. I imagine it to be like being in a video game with the map in the corner of the frame as you move around. Other idea is to have it on all day and log on to chat roulette, give them that “being john malcovich” feeling. I would also upgrade the cam as mine is a little on the slow side. If you have any ideas of applications for the head set let me know 
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How about an augmented navigation heads up, relaying information where you are walking to. overlay turn by turn information.
Hey Luke. Yeah totally. That’s what I am planning, but I’am struggling to find software to create the overlay. But yeah cool idea, my goal is to have a small map in the bottom corner as though your in an fps.
[...] graphics onto a real-world view? F00 at Tailor Made Toys took an Eye-Trek video headset and embedded a laptop webcam into the bridge, then hooked up an Eee PC for running AR [...]
Hi Christian,
Very impressive, and in a DIY kit…. what more could you ask for.
You should check out my blog on articulated naturality as it would be an amazing addition to your concept.
http://bit.ly/9x4KyA
Kind regards,
Matt
Hey Mat. Just read your blog post.
But is it not aimed at particular devices, or are there versions that will run on xp/linux?
That’s exactly the sort of software I’ve been looking for
[...] graphics onto a real-world view? F00 at Tailor Made Toys took an Eye-Trek video headset and embedded a laptop webcam into the bridge, then hooked up an Eee PC for running AR [...]
I love the idea of “overlay[ing] happy expressions over their incredulous faces”. You could go one step further and add sound – so everyone says “hey – you look cool” or “how ya doing mate!?”.
Imagine everyone in the world wearing these headsets with that function turned on all the time? No more war, no more arguments; just a world full of happy people that complement each other all the time.
Chris – can I order 6 billion units please? I’ll pay you back on payday.
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Hi, just a question… do you not loose stereotypic view by only using one camera ???
Might not be a good idea to use it on crowded places or right a bike.
Just wonder
[...] you to hack together a pair of augmented realty glasses with minimal fuss. Check out the full instructions if you’re planning on working on one of these over the [...]
[...] you to hack together a pair of augmented realty glasses with minimal fuss. Check out the full instructions whether you’re planning on working on one of these by the [...]
[...] you to hack together a pair of augmented realty glasses with minimal fuss. Check out the full instructions whether you’re planning on working on one of these by the [...]
[...] you to hack together a pair of augmented realty glasses with minimal fuss. Check out the full instructions whether you’re planning on working on one of these by the [...]
[...] you to hack together a pair of augmented realty glasses with minimal fuss. Check out the full instructions whether you’re planning on working on one of these by the [...]
[...] you to hack together a pair of augmented realty glasses with minimal fuss. Check out the full instructions if you’re planning on working on one of these over the [...]
[...] you to hack together a pair of augmented realty glasses with minimal fuss. Check out the full instructions if you’re planning on working on one of these over the [...]
[...] you to hack together a pair of augmented realty glasses with minimal fuss. Check out the full instructions whether you’re planning on working on one of these by the [...]
[...] together a pair of augmented realty glasses with minimal fuss. Check out the full instructions if you’re planning on working on one of these over the [...]
[...] you to hack together a pair of augmented realty glasses with minimal fuss. Check out the full instructions if you’re planning on working on one of these over the [...]
We need to talk. I do geolocated 3D architectural models in Autodesk Revit which can be viewed in situ in Google Earth. So what’s to prevent me from standing on the actual site and looking at my architecture project in AR ? I need a stereoscopic AR headset with GPS and headtracking. Where do I start ?