When it comes to VR/AR glasses, people usually associate them with high prices and long development cycles.
Therefore, when hearing that a developer 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 protagonist of this “incredible” story.
Next, let’s take a look at how he started from scratch and completed this AR glasses step by step.
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 represents the spirit of the maker community: building from scratch.
According to Miroslav Kotalík’s sharing on X platform, the glasses frame named Zero was made using 3D printing technology, with the core processor being Raspberry Pi Zero—a super small single-board computer with low power consumption and expandability, priced at only 5 dollars, making it an ideal choice for many DIY projects.
In the initial phase of the project, Kotalík tested the light projection and imaging effects using optical components from a telescope, completing the early optical system design. Later, he decided to make the lenses himself instead of relying on existing products on the market.
To achieve the effect of AR glasses, the optical system is crucial. Traditional lenses usually require professional equipment to produce, but Kotalík attempted to make the lenses himself using 3D printing technology. However, despite the clear advantages of 3D printing in shaping the appearance of objects, there are still certain limitations in producing high-precision optical components: due to the limitations of printing materials and processes, he found that the transparent PETG material left tiny 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 injected transparent resin into the molds, and after multiple curing, polishing, and finishing, he finally obtained a usable lens. This lens not only transmits clear images but also meets the requirements of being lightweight and durable, basically fulfilling Kotalík’s vision for AR glasses lenses.
Compact and Exquisite AR Display System
In addition to the optical system, the choice and driving of the display are also important components of AR glasses.
Kotalík chose two micro SPI displays as imaging modules and used an open-source fbcp-ili9341 driver project to enable the 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 of the display components to the sides of the glasses: this design enhances overall aesthetics and allows for more comfortable use of the AR glasses in daily life.
Through several rounds of iterative optimization, Kotalík also improved the design of the optical components. He found that although the dual-lens design theoretically provides better imaging effects, it brings more errors in practice. Finally, he decided to simplify the optical components into a single-lens design. Although this increased the distance from the lens to the display, it effectively improved image clarity and enhanced user experience.
Kotalík not only focused on hardware improvements but also devoted a lot of energy to building the software system.
“Software must be open and accessible.” Based on this goal, Kotalík designed an open backend 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 the 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 display text”—which is quite impressive for a DIY Raspberry Pi project.
Still a Gap Compared to Consumer Products
Despite the significant progress of the Zero project, Kotalík also realizes that there are still many areas that need improvement.
He candidly admitted that the current AR glasses prototype still lags behind consumer products in terms of image clarity, performance, and portability, but he believes that as hardware and software continue to iterate, this project may achieve commercialization in the future.
In Kotalík’s view, the future of AR devices should not be limited to “enjoying XR experiences at home” but should step out of the lab and into daily life. He hopes his work can become a more practical and portable device, rather than a high-cost device 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 about the final effect of wearing the Zero glasses:
From the video, the overall AR effect looks quite hazy, but as a first iteration prototype, Kotalík is relatively satisfied. Moreover, these glasses basically blend into his overall outfit, and one might not even notice these unique AR glasses when encountering him on the street.
As for the next steps for these AR glasses, Kotalík hopes that the system can support rich AR application scenarios in the future. He pointed out that due to currently using Raspberry Pi Zero, which has limited performance, it cannot smoothly run YouTube and X websites, so he plans to upgrade to a more powerful Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 in the next version to support higher-load applications like 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.
Exciting Response in the Developer Community
Although the Zero project is currently not comparable to the expensive consumer-grade AR devices on the market, it has still sparked a heated response in the developer community: “Well done, respect,” “This is amazing,” “Really cool, let me know if you need software help!”
While praising his excellent DIY capabilities, some developers also offered Kotalík some suggestions:
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“This project is amazing, have you considered using SLA to print the lenses? They might be clearer and less labor-intensive, and you might also consider providing designs and ordering from a printing bureau. I love glasses that can point out things on the screen to highlight them.”
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“Awesome, can’t wait to see your final product! Have you considered using spatial tracking features to anchor content? Is there a plan to equip the front camera with this feature?”
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“I’m looking forward to when you can launch a version of glasses with prescription lenses!”
So, what do you think of 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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