MONOCLE: a pocket sized AR device for the imaginative hacker #MicroPython @NordicTweets @brilliantlabsAR
Monocle is a tiny heads-up display which clips onto existing eyewear. It’s packed full of powerful hardware which is perfect for on the go.
It connects to a mobile phone over Bluetooth, and includes a few handy sensors such as touch buttons, camera and microphone.
The included FPGA is provides computer vision, AI or graphics acceleration directly on the device. Monocle runs open source software and provides an easy way to get started using MicroPython. You can also write your own firmware from scratch.
The MCU used is a Nordic nRF52832 with 512KB of Flash memory, and 64KB of RAM. It supports Bluetooth 5.2, up to 2Mb/s. The FPGA IC used is a Gowin GW1N-LV9MG100C6/I5. It contains 7k LUTs, 468kb of block RAM, as well as 608kb of Flash memory. An additional 8Mb SPI Flash IC is also included in Monocle, and either flash space may be used for booting up the FPGA, or storing user data.
The display used in Monocle is a Sony ECX336CN micro OLED. It features 640×400 RGB pixels, and is optically bonded to the main housing which directs the image into the users eye. The result is a transparent floating display with a 20° field of view. About the size of a table display at arms length.
The front facing camera on Monocle is an Omnivision OV5640. It is a 5MP color sensor and features numerous convince features such as automatic exposure control, and automatic white balance. It is connected directly to the FPGA over a high speed MIPI CSI-2 interface.
Monocle is under an MIT Open Source license.
See more on the website and read the documentation here.
Adafruit publishes a wide range of writing and video content, including interviews and reporting on the maker market and the wider technology world. Our standards page is intended as a guide to best practices that Adafruit uses, as well as an outline of the ethical standards Adafruit aspires to. While Adafruit is not an independent journalistic institution, Adafruit strives to be a fair, informative, and positive voice within the community – check it out here: adafruit.com/editorialstandards
Stop breadboarding and soldering – start making immediately! Adafruit’s Circuit Playground is jam-packed with LEDs, sensors, buttons, alligator clip pads and more. Build projects with Circuit Playground in a few minutes with the drag-and-drop MakeCode programming site, learn computer science using the CS Discoveries class on code.org, jump into CircuitPython to learn Python and hardware together, TinyGO, or even use the Arduino IDE. Circuit Playground Express is the newest and best Circuit Playground board, with support for CircuitPython, MakeCode, and Arduino. It has a powerful processor, 10 NeoPixels, mini speaker, InfraRed receive and transmit, two buttons, a switch, 14 alligator clip pads, and lots of sensors: capacitive touch, IR proximity, temperature, light, motion and sound. A whole wide world of electronics and coding is waiting for you, and it fits in the palm of your hand.
Have an amazing project to share? The Electronics Show and Tell is every Wednesday at 7pm ET! To join, head over to YouTube and check out the show’s live chat – we’ll post the link there.
Python for Microcontrollers — Python on Microcontrollers Newsletter: MicroPython Pico W Bluetooth, CircuitPython 8.0.4 and much more! #CircuitPython #Python #micropython @ThePSF @Raspberry_Pi
