When it comes to VR/AR glasses, people usually think of high prices and long development cycles.

Therefore, when hearing about a developer who took a different approach by using Raspberry Pi Zero to create a feature-rich AR glasses prototype, even making the lenses himself, the first reaction of most people was “incredible”—and Miroslav Kotalík is the “incredible” protagonist.

Next, let’s take a look at how he started from scratch and gradually completed these AR glasses.

Starting from Scratch: The Birth of a Grassroots AR Project

Miroslav Kotalík’s AR glasses project is named “Zero,” meaning “starting from zero,” which symbolizes not only the “zero-cost” DIY but also the spirit of the maker community: building from scratch.

According to Miroslav Kotalík’s sharing on platform X, the glasses frame named Zero is made using 3D printing technology, and the core processor is Raspberry Pi Zero—a super small single-board computer with low power consumption and expandability, priced at only $5, making it an ideal choice for many DIY projects.

In the initial stage of the project, Kotalík tested the projection and imaging effects using optical components from telescopes, completing the early optical system design. Later, he decided to make the lenses himself instead of relying on existing products in the market.

To achieve the AR glasses effect, the optical system is crucial. Traditional lenses usually require professional equipment to produce, but Kotalík attempted to make the lenses using 3D printing technology. However, despite the obvious advantages of 3D printing in forming the appearance of objects, there is still a gap in producing high-precision optical components: due to the limitations of printing materials and processes, he found that transparent PETG material leaves small air gaps after 3D printing, making the lens imaging unclear.

Faced with this challenge, Kotalík tried another method—casting. He repeatedly refined the design using optical simulation software and optimized a dual-lens system, making lens molds with a 3D printer. Then, he poured transparent resin into the molds, and after multiple curing, polishing, and buffing, he finally obtained a usable lens. This lens not only transmits clear images but also meets the requirements of lightweight and durability, basically fulfilling Kotalík’s vision for AR glasses lenses.

Compact and Exquisite AR Display System

Besides the optical system, the choice and driving of the display are also important components of AR glasses.

Kotalík chose two micro SPI displays as the imaging module and used an open-source fbcp-ili9341 driver project to enable Raspberry Pi to achieve 60 fps low-latency real-time image transmission on these small screens. To save space, he also adopted some unique layouts in the design of the glasses frame, moving most display components to the sides of the glasses: this design enhances overall aesthetics and allows for more casual use of these AR glasses in daily life.

Through several rounds of iterative optimization, Kotalík also improved the design of the optical components. He found that while a dual-lens design theoretically provides better imaging effects, it introduces more errors in practice. Ultimately, he decided to simplify the optical components to a single-lens design. Although this increased the distance between the lens and the display, it effectively improved image clarity and enhanced the user experience.

Kotalík not only focused on hardware improvements but also devoted a lot of energy to building the software system.

“The software must be open and accessible.” Based on this goal, Kotalík designed an open back-end system for these glasses, allowing Raspberry Pi to integrate any sensors and run web applications spatially. Kotalík explained that this approach makes building applications super simple: just write an html/css/js webpage and place it in a specified folder to run on the AR glasses.

Kotalík stated that these AR glasses can currently “play videos, display images, play music through Bluetooth headphones, and even display text”—which is quite impressive for a DIY Raspberry Pi project.

Still a Gap Compared to Consumer Products

Although the Zero project has made significant progress, Kotalík also realizes that there are still many areas that need improvement.

He candidly stated that the current AR glasses prototype still has gaps in image clarity, performance, and portability compared to consumer products, but he believes that with continuous iterations of hardware and software, this project may achieve commercialization in the future.

In Kotalík’s view, he believes that the future of AR devices should not be limited to “enjoying XR experiences at home” but should step out of the laboratory and into daily life. He hopes that his work can become a more practical and portable device, rather than a device that requires high costs like those launched by some companies—compared to the heavy AI-driven devices showcased by tech giants like Meta, Kotalík prefers to create a lightweight personal tool.

Based on this, Kotalík recorded a video showing the final effect of wearing the Zero glasses:

From the video, the overall AR effect looks hazy, but as a first iteration prototype, Kotalík is quite satisfied. Moreover, these glasses blend well with his overall outfit, and one might not even notice these unique AR glasses on the street.

For the next step of these AR glasses, Kotalík hopes that the system can support a rich variety of AR application scenarios. He pointed out that since the current Raspberry Pi Zero is limited in performance, it cannot smoothly run YouTube and X at the moment, so he plans to upgrade to the more powerful Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 in the next version to support higher-load applications such as Spotify, X, and YouTube.

In Kotalík’s vision, users can achieve various functions through these glasses such as navigation, playing videos, reading shopping lists, scanning QR codes, and even real-time subtitle translation. He also plans to add a camera, GPS, and SIM card slot in future versions to enable the device to have more smart device functions and ultimately evolve into a truly portable, closely integrated smart device for daily life.

Exciting Response in the Developer Community

Although Zero cannot yet compete with the high-priced consumer-grade AR devices on the market, this project has still sparked enthusiastic responses in the developer community: “Well done, respect,” “This is so amazing,” “Really cool, let me know if you need software help!”

While praising his excellent DIY skills, some developers also offered Kotalík some suggestions:

• “This project is incredible; have you considered using SLA to print the lenses? They might be clearer and easier, and also consider providing designs and ordering from a printing bureau. I love the glasses that can highlight things pointed at the screen.”

• “Awesome, can’t wait to see your final product! Have you considered using spatial tracking for anchoring content? Is there a plan to equip the front camera with this feature?”

• “I’m looking forward to when you can release a version with myopia degree!”

So, what do you think about Kotalík’s AR glasses?

Reference links:

https://x.com/mi_kotalik/status/1847318629680922817

https://www.xda-developers.com/ar-glasses-raspberry-pi/

https://www.reddit.com/r/raspberry_pi/comments/1gi9b6r/ive_built_a_selfcontained_pair_of_ar_goggles/

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