OmniHelmet v1.0

“The only way to discover the limits of the possible is to go beyond them into the impossible.” –Arthur C. Clarke

“What is now proved was once only imagined.” –William Blake

Foreword

While reading this tutorial, try to remember that I am only twelve years old. I cannot vouch that the presentation/detail of what entails matches the standard the other 99.95910020449898‬% of the submissions hold. My name is William Bowles. I live in Queensland, Australia. In 2016-2015 I got my first Raspberry Pi. Ever since that day, I have taken time to learn Arduino (and other compatible hardware). This project is a summary of all my learning to date. I hope you enjoy it.

-Will_the_Star

Introduction

What is the OmniHelmet? In short, the OmniHelmet is a complex integration of NVIDIA's Jetson Nano-an affordable, Artificial Intelligence optimised computer, with Arduino, a wide family of programmable single-board microcontrollers. While it was not intended for the two to interface, I believe I have found a simple way to do so. Now imagine that whatever Arduino board I use is connected to a wide array of sensors. Now imagine the whole thing connected to a power source, screen and placed on a motorbike helmet. That's right. The OmniHelmet is a full computer which you can carry round on your head.

Step One: Acquiring a Helmet

Programming aside, this may actually be the trickiest part of the tutorial. Finding a helmet that is good quality but non-expensive is a lot trickier than it sounds to start with, have a look around on Gumtree or Ebay. I seriously doubt you will find any kind of good helmet for under AU $20. But by some amazing chance, I managed to find the perfect helmet on Gumtree for only AU $10 (plus two half-hour journeys in a car). It was in perfect condition (when I got it at least), and even had ventilation. Unless you're looking to spend a lot more money buying a first-hand helmet, I suggest just going for a cheap, second hand one. You'll probably want a large helmet with a removable visor for this project.

Step Two: Acquiring the Components

Have a look at the hardware list above. I got most of the components from Jaycar Electronics (since I live in Australia). But for the people who do not live in Down Under, use the US version of the page or just place an order for the components. As for the air-mouse, you can pick one up for about AU $10.