Hardware Podcasts

Building AR Headsets with Aedan Cullen

The Amp Hour · 9 Jul 2023 · 1h 08m · Episode 638

What this episode covers

Aedan Cullen, a recent college graduate, discusses his four-year hobby project to build a compact, low-power Augmented Reality (AR) headset. He details the evolution of his hardware designs, moving from an Allwinner RISC-V SoC to an NXP i.MX RT500 microcontroller, and explains the technical challenges of driving high-resolution OLED micro-displays via MIPI DSI. Cullen also covers the system-level trade-offs between Wi-Fi and Bluetooth for content streaming, power management strategies for all-day wearability, and the mechanical and optical hurdles of integrating displays into eyewear form factors.

Most relevant to

makers and hobbyists

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
Allwinner, NXP, Sony, Vutrix Technology, Magic Leap, Vuzix, Silicon Labs, Octavo Systems, Torex Semiconductor, Garmin, Vivante
Products
HoloLens, Apple Vision Pro, Google Glass
Chips
D1, i.MX RT500, STM32 MP1
Tools
Zephyr

Related episodes from other shows

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • Moore's Lobby · 59m

    Stepping Outside the Metaverse to Discuss Next-Gen Hardware Development

    Agustya Mehta, Director of System Platforms for Reality Labs Hardware at Meta, discusses the engineering challenges of next-generation AR/VR devices, drawing on his experience at Microsoft, Apple, and the startup Nado. He details the transition from bulky prototypes to untethered headsets, highlighting advances in silicon, micro-displays, and inside-out tracking. Mehta emphasizes the importance of balancing strict engineering constraints with industrial design to create wearable devices that are both functional and socially acceptable, particularly for accessibility applications.

    PCB design & layoutIndustrial & consumer product design
    10 chapters

  • The Electromaker Show · 30m

    Arduino Uno R4, New Nordic Power EK, Prize Winning Projects!

    The host of The Electromaker Show reviews the new Arduino Uno R4 (WiFi and Minima variants), highlighting the switch from the ATmega328P to the Renesas RA4M1 Cortex-M4 microcontroller and the addition of a 12-bit DAC. He also introduces Nordic Semiconductor's nPM1300 Evaluation Kit for power management and announces the winners of the Electromaker of the Month contest, including a 3D-printed robotic arm and tutorials for Beagle Connect Freedom and Qubitro. The episode concludes with a brief commentary on Red Hat's recent changes to its open-source licensing model.

    Microcontrollers & dev platformsBatteries & low-power design
    1 chapters

  • Hackaday Podcast · 55m

    Ep053: 1-Bit Computer a Family Affair, Display is Actually Fabulous, and Hoverboard is a Drill Press

    Hackaday editors Mike Szczys and Elliot Williams discuss several hardware projects, including Eckart Singh Kalsi’s sequin display, which uses a CNC mechanism to flip sequins on fabric, and Jens Christian Røstved’s WDR-1, a 1-bit computer based on Motorola 14500 chips. They also cover a hoverboard motor repurposed as a magnetic drill press by DIY King, a low-power design talk by Dave Young, and a teardown of a Soviet Soyuz clock by Ken Sheriff. The episode concludes with quick hacks involving FTDI-based debuggers and a smartwatch hack using Nordic Semiconductor chips.

    Mechanical engineeringMicrocontrollers & dev platforms
    9 chapters

  • Hackaday Podcast · 55m

    Ep017: Are Cheap Microcontrollers Worth It? Android on Your Bike. Plus Food Printers and Coffee Bots

    Hackaday editors Mike Szczys and Elliot Williams discuss the PMS150C microcontroller, which costs only 3 cents but is one-time programmable, and explore a bike computer running Android that revealed GPL violations. They also cover a scratch-built smartwatch with a wood-filled PLA case, a LoRa repeater for high-altitude balloons, and an SNES emulator technique that improves Mode 7 graphics. The episode concludes with an interview with Craig Bishop about improving KiCad's auto-router.

    Microcontrollers & dev platformsConnected products & IoT
    7 chapters

  • Embedded.fm · 1h 21m

    156: Black Knight 2000

    Jeri Ellsworth, president of CastAR, discusses the company's mixed reality headset, which uses a belt-mounted console to keep weight and heat off the user's head. She details the decision to refund an early Kickstarter campaign to pivot from a PC peripheral to a self-contained device, a move funded by Playground Global. Ellsworth also outlines CastAR's hiring strategy, emphasizing whiteboard interviews for practical engineering problems over trivia, and their focus on social, tabletop-style gaming experiences.

    Crowdfunding & preordersHiring & workforce
    8 chapters

The summary, chapters and topics are generated from the episode’s audio by this directory, not written by The Amp Hour. The episode itself belongs to its publisher.