GPS Tracking, and a Lot More, with DIY HUD Goggles

Most of us have reliable and accurate GPS navigation right in our pockets at all times, but they have the disadvantage of requiring us to stare at a screen. Wouldn’t it be nice if you could have a video game-style heads-up display (HUD) instead? That’s exactly what Redditor maxime_moreillon has done with their DIY HUD goggles.

The whole package is rather bulky, with a screen and camera on the front, and box around back. But, that’s because there is quite a bit of technology crammed in there. There is, of course, a microcontroller: an Arduino Pro Mini. That drives a MAX7456 on-screen display (OSD) generator, which is used to overlay information onto the goggles video feed.

There is also a MPU-6050 accelerometer/gyro, a HMC5883L magnetometer, and a NRF24L01+ wireless transceiver. Those work with a signal from an external GPS tracker to guide the wearer to the tracker, just like finding a waypoint in a video game. But, it doesn’t end there, among many other features is night vision capability.

The camera chosen by maxime_moreillon is able to pick up near-infrared light. When IR projectors are used, the goggles are able to provide night vision. If you want to build your own, head over to the GitHub page where the code and schematic are available.