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Programming a Wearable Android Device

CowboyRobot writes "Dr. Dobb's reviews an alternative to Google Glass and goes through the steps of coding your own Android-based Heads-Up Display. 'By tucking their 428x240 pixel WQVGA heads-up display in the lower right corner of ski goggles, Recon has effectively created an unobtrusive HUD with a decent 600 MHz ARM Cortex A8 processor running Android 2.3.3 (Eclair). Network connections can be made via a Bluetooth-paired Android smartphone.'"

9 of 53 comments (clear)

  1. Unobtrusive Ski Goggles by T.E.D. · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Umm...unobtrusive if you are skiing, perhaps. If you are walking around town in the middle of September, not so much.

    1. Re:Unobtrusive Ski Goggles by binarylarry · · Score: 2

      Perhaps the googles do something?

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    2. Re:Unobtrusive Ski Goggles by Beardo+the+Bearded · · Score: 3, Funny

      No, because once everyone is wearing these, the goggles will just photoshop out the goggles everyone else is wearing.

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  2. Not a HUD by Picass0 · · Score: 2

    A heads up display allows you to look straight ahead without adjusting your focal point or moving your eye. This doesn't look as though the image is projected onto the surface of the googles. the user must make an effort to view information, it is not overlayed with the normal field of view. It's just a mini-display tucked into the corner of diving googles.

  3. Re:How would HUD even work? by ackthpt · · Score: 3, Insightful

    How would HUD even work since your eyes need to focus on elements between far and close? Would you need to focus on the HUD? Does glasses work the same way? Could some nerd with glasses explain how do you focus on things?

    I don't focus on the glasses lens, I focus on whatever object I'm looking at, the light reflected from which is modified by the structure of the lens.

    HUD I don't know about, but can tell you, focusing on something an inch in infront of your eye is near impossible, so whatever a HUD does it must project like the image is at a distance. Probably works great for people with good eyesight already, but us aging geeks may require some adjustment as the old eyes don't want to focus up close like they once did.

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  4. Re:Microsoft Research by ackthpt · · Score: 2

    Let's not forget that Microsoft Research has done remarkable job at discovering and developing real life HUDs. For example back in 2004 Bill Gates himself assigned the goal of

    I think you are confused with FUD research.

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  5. Re:Microsoft Research by Spy+Handler · · Score: 2

    Remember the old MS Slashdot icon? That was Bill wearing one of these!

  6. Re:How would HUD even work? by Anaerin · · Score: 4, Informative

    Typically, the image project into the HUD is "Focused" optically at (or close to) "Infinity". Try asking the US Air Force how that works out for them (rather well, actually), as they've been using it in fighter planes for decades now.

  7. Re:Not sure a side display in skiing is a good ide by spire3661 · · Score: 2

    Driving is dangerous too, yet every car comes with a vast array of readouts and inputs.

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