Uware: The $60 Google Glass-Style Headset

As 15-year-old Maker Daniel Quintana notes in his project write-up, not a lot of people remember Google Glass. Though an interesting idea, these wearable devices were perhaps ahead of their time as they were expensive and required voice control just to take a picture. Now, armed with today’s improved (and more affordable) electronics, Quintana was able to put together his own version for just under $60!

The project, called “Uware,” takes the form of a sort of 3D-pirnted headband, with an impressive array of wiring and electronics stuffed inside — including a useful magnetic charging setup. Display is handled by a Tiny 0.49-inch OLED display module, which is reflected onto a a piece of glass directly in the user’s field of view.

His device is controlled by an Arduino Pro Mini, and uses an APDS-9960 sensor for user input, along with an app that runs on his phone. The app sends characters to the Uware unit, which interprets this as the time, or as a text message if the string starts with a quotation mark.

The Uware’s camera mode can be activated by swiping right on the gesture sensor to take pictures and eventually video. Although an interesting device currently, this smart display has all kinds of potential. Planned improvements include GPS navigation, a stop watch app, weather widget, and several other accessories and improvements.

You can see more of Quintana’s build here, and check out some demos below.