# Building AR Headsets with Aedan Cullen

- Show: [The Amp Hour](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour)
- Published: 2023-07-09
- Length: 1h 08m
- Episode: 638
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2023-07-09-building-ar-headsets-with-aedan-cullen
- Listen: https://theamphour.com/638-building-ar-headsets-with-aedan-cullen/

## Summary

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.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2023-07-09-building-ar-headsets-with-aedan-cullen#t=0) Introduction and Project Background
- [3:48](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2023-07-09-building-ar-headsets-with-aedan-cullen#t=228) AR Design Philosophy and Display Choices
- [13:57](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2023-07-09-building-ar-headsets-with-aedan-cullen#t=837) First Prototype: Allwinner D1 and System-in-Package
- [24:18](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2023-07-09-building-ar-headsets-with-aedan-cullen#t=1458) Power Management and Connectivity Trade-offs
- [30:11](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2023-07-09-building-ar-headsets-with-aedan-cullen#t=1811) Second Prototype: NXP i.MX RT500 and MIPI DSI Challenges
- [38:56](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2023-07-09-building-ar-headsets-with-aedan-cullen#t=2336) Software Stack: Zephyr RTOS and GPU Integration
- [46:58](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2023-07-09-building-ar-headsets-with-aedan-cullen#t=2818) Content Streaming and Compression Strategies
- [52:36](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2023-07-09-building-ar-headsets-with-aedan-cullen#t=3156) Mechanical Design, Optics, and Wearability
- [1:03:50](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2023-07-09-building-ar-headsets-with-aedan-cullen#t=3830) Future Vision and Career Advice

## Topics

- [Microcontrollers & dev platforms](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/microcontrollers-and-platforms)
- [PCB design & layout](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pcb-design)
- [Batteries & low-power design](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/batteries-and-low-power)
- [Embedded firmware](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/embedded-firmware)
- [Industrial & consumer product design](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/industrial-design)
- [Prototyping & iteration](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/prototyping)

## Most relevant to

makers and hobbyists

## Mentioned

- Allwinner (company)
- D1 (chip)
- NXP (company)
- i.MX RT500 (chip)
- Sony (company)
- Vutrix Technology (company)
- Zephyr (tool)
- Magic Leap (company)
- HoloLens (product)
- Apple Vision Pro (product)
- Google Glass (product)
- Vuzix (company)
- Silicon Labs (company)
- Octavo Systems (company)
- STM32 MP1 (chip)
- Torex Semiconductor (company)
- Garmin (company)
- Vivante (company)

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- [Arduino Uno R4, New Nordic Power EK, Prize Winning Projects!](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-electromaker-show/2023-07-07-arduino-uno-r4-new-nordic-power-ek-prize-winning-projects) (The Electromaker Show)
- [Ep053: 1-Bit Computer a Family Affair, Display is Actually Fabulous, and Hoverboard is a Drill Press](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2020-02-07-ep053-1-bit-computer-a-family-affair-display-is-actually-fabulous-and-hoverboard) (Hackaday Podcast)
- [Ep017: Are Cheap Microcontrollers Worth It? Android on Your Bike. Plus Food Printers and Coffee Bots](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2019-05-03-ep017-are-cheap-microcontrollers-worth-it-android-on-your-bike-plus-food-printer) (Hackaday Podcast)
- [156: Black Knight 2000](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2016-06-16-156-black-knight-2000) (Embedded.fm)

## Citing this page

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