When it comes to VR/AR glasses, people’s impression is usually that they are expensive and have a long development cycle.
Therefore, when hearing that a developer has taken 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 is “incredible”—and Miroslav Kotalík is the “incredible” protagonist.
Next, let’s take a look at how he started from scratch and completed these AR glasses step by step.
From Scratch: The Birth of a Grassroots AR Project
Miroslav Kotalík’s AR glasses project is named “Zero”, meaning “starting from scratch”, symbolizing not only “zero-cost” DIY but also the spirit of the maker community: building from the ground up.
According to Miroslav Kotalík’s sharing on platform X, the glasses frame named Zero was made using 3D printing technology, and the core processor is the 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 phase of the project, Kotalík tested the light projection and imaging effects using telescope optical components and completed 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 some gaps in producing high-precision optical components: due to limitations in printing materials and processes, he found that transparent PETG material leaves tiny air gaps after 3D printing, resulting in unclear imaging of the lenses.
Faced with this challenge, Kotalík turned to another method—casting. He repeatedly optimized designs using optical simulation software to create a dual-lens system and used a 3D printer to make the lens molds. He then injected transparent resin into the molds and, after multiple curing, polishing, and grinding processes, finally obtained usable lenses. These lenses not only transmit clear images but also meet requirements for lightness and durability, basically fulfilling Kotalík’s vision for the lenses of AR glasses.
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 natural 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 although the 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 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.
“The software must be open and accessible.” Based on this goal, Kotalík designed an open backend system for these glasses, allowing the 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 designated folder, and it can 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 already quite impressive for a DIY Raspberry Pi project.
Still a Gap with Consumer Products
Although the Zero project has made significant progress, Kotalík also realizes that there are still many areas for improvement.
He candidly admitted 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 while sitting at home” but should step out of the laboratory and into everyday life. He hopes that 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 hazy, but as a first iteration prototype, Kotalík is relatively satisfied. Moreover, these glasses blend seamlessly with his overall outfit, making them hard to notice on the street.
Regarding 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, performance is limited, and it cannot smoothly run YouTube and other 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 with these glasses such as navigation, video playback, 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 give the device more smart device functions, ultimately evolving into a truly portable smart device closely integrated with life.
Causing a Stir in the Developer Community
Although Zero cannot yet compete with the expensive consumer-grade AR devices on the market, this project 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 outstanding DIY skills, some developers also offered Kotalík some suggestions:
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“This project is incredible, have you considered using SLA printing for the lenses? They might be clearer and easier, and you could also consider providing designs and ordering from a printing bureau. I love glasses that can point to things on the screen to highlight them.”
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“Awesome, I can’t wait to see your final results! Have you considered using spatial tracking for anchoring 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 the AR glasses made by Kotalík?
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/
