DIY Heads Up Display (HUD) for Motorcycle Helmet

December 11th, 2009 Comments

I’m hoping to figure out how to build a DIY HUD system for my motorcycle helmet. It seems that one company did make some of them at one point, but no longer. It is definitely feasible to put a HUD system in a helmet and the Air Force/Navy have been doing this for some time.

Why?

I’d prefer to never have to look down at the handlebars to know some basic things about my riding. I’d ideally show:

  • Speed
  • Tach (RPMs)
  • Gear
  • Compass Direction
  • High/low beam indication and left/right turn signal indicators
  • Engine temperature

Factors:

Sounds difficult, but I think we’re in luck for a lot of things according to the Wikipedia, but there’s some setbacks too:

  • field of vision — I need to focus the display at around 10 feet out to infinity. This part shouldn’t be too hard, but seems to require some type of lens-like area to help focus it.
  • eyebox —the eyebox is generally where your head/eye must be to see the image. Luckily the area of variability inside the helmet is almost zero. My helmet is tight and my eyes don’t move around in there.
  • luminance/contrast — Doing this automatically might be a little tricky, but I’m already imagining that I could automatically adjust it relatively easily with some basic logic or even an analog circuit.
  • display accuracy — Since I won’t be displaying information (at least at first) about things around me, and just the status of the bike, this doesn’t matter too much.
  • installation — I have to work with the bike itself. This might be a bit tricky. The electronics on the bike are for lights and ignition only. There’s no ‘logic’ on the bike and everything is manual since its from 1979.

How?

I’m honestly not sure where to start. It seems like having a semi-transparent/semi-reflective surface on a small area inside my helmet which is reflecting back a mini OLED screen would be the best. Some of the hardest stuff I think will be integration with the bike. The bike integration is one of the hardest parts probably because the bike is so old and analog.

I’ll probably have to wear a small backpack with a netbook (or at least the guts) in it, or embed it inside a saddleback or in the bike itself. The computer will connect to the bike likely via an Arduino. I’m hoping to get to the point that I can use purely an Arduino and have no laptop. The Arduino will have a lot of sensors hooked to its inputs from the bike (turn sensors, temperature and a digital compass). It will run from a small regulated split from the power on the bike itself with a battery backup.

Hoping to hack some Apple Magsafe style connectors to give me the ability to easily split away from the bike in case I move off of it or fall, because there will need to be a cable from the helmet. Also ideally I could control it via voice commands, but these rarely work well and would definitely require a netbook or OLPC in/with the bike to make it work.

Got ideas? I’ll definitely document the work and I’m open to suggestions. Comments below!

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  • Me
    OLED flexi is good but how would you focus on it?
  • Wayne
    high beam could be as simple as a blue led, indicators orange , rpm could be a red shift light led from a jaycar kit. you are almost looking at cellphone projector tech with a keystone correction to get it all to fit.
  • Eric
    I have been thinking about this for some time as well. Military HUD's are projected onto the visor and quite readable from inside the helmet now. It would be great to have a watered down version and have it wirelessly (bluetooth) integrated into the bike. Every bike is different and presents a daunting challenge to a manufacturer in the aftermarket mode but it can be done with current technology. It is best if it is engineered into the bike (newer digital types) from the factory up front. If they would then build Helmets with the display projector - WOW. It would be great to also have a camera at rear of helmet and gelled bladders to help make a one size fits all helmet....and on and on. I have an Interphone bluetooth stereo headset with mike in my helmet and bind it to my Iphone and it works great. I can't wait until this tech blossoms. It will be bliss while riding. Keep on trying and dreaming guys!!
  • Thalass
    There's a set of ski goggles that have a hud with all sorts of information (including maps and such) that you can get. It seems to have one (or two) tiny displays in the lower front corner of the goggles. Something similar might work in a full face bike helmet. Just search for 'gps ski goggles', they're pretty neat.
  • Twitchd8
    I have actually heard of bluetooth control systems... the bluetooth chips aren't very expensive, and I've heard of them using the BASIC Stamp (Parallax, Inc.) with the proprietary board to control some robotics through bluetooth... maybe you could check this out... I have learned some very basic coding using BASIC Stamp... of course, this would be to remove the wire completely from the helmet/motorcycle connection, leaving you for complete handsfree usage... come to think, you could PROBABLY hack the currently available Bluetooth Motorcycle Helmets found at http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/1046/MNGR/...
    At least, that's what page I'm looking at... but I think it would be cheaper to learn the Basic Stamp and interfacing needed for the bluetooth chip... sorry for the lengthy post...
    Twitchd8
    Student, Associate's in Applied Science - Electronics Technology at LLCC
  • daniel versteegh
    Hi,

    I'm thinking about the same project.
    I came to the conclusion that if one measures the pulses to a sparkplug and multiply that by four (assuming a four stroke) we have rpm's. couple this with gps and there is speed, direction , and if rpm and speed are present it is possible to calculate which gear is used.

    (english is not my first language so apologies for any mistakes)
  • arebel
    What about one for walking around like in sunglasses?
    and maybe a zoom feature and night vision
  • doyz1
    I have been giving this some thought.
    do a google search for zeal optics transcend goggles.due for release this year. 2010. Zeal optics and recon instruments have got together and made these goggles for snowboards and the likes. Im thinking, buy a pair purly for the optics and screen then incorporate a power commander unit so instead of the powercommander unit sending info to their optional extra LCD screen it sends to the screen in the goggles. of coarse the main thing would also be removing the screen from the goggles altogether and building it into the helmet. initially ther will be a cable but im sure a little bit of research for wireless comunications will allow this to be removed.
  • tibbon
    Wow- that's pretty nice and right on target and the price is right!

    I don't think a wire is a big deal. Wire it with a Magsafe style connector like Macs have and then you can breakaway without damaging anything.
  • nerverunner
    Just started riding a bike recently, I realized pretty quickly that an HUD would be great. I'm surprised there aren't a bunch of these out there already (or something similar built into a helmet.) Seems to me these goggles will work fine for the purpose, just get a 3/4 helmet. Looks like an awesome Christmas present!
    I don't know much about GPS devices, but it seems like they need to be outside (not under a cover) to work. Are there likely to be any problems wearing them under a helmet?
  • tibbon
    I'm sure you could safely put whatever antenna outside of the helmet. Some modification overall will be needed.

    I'd say to NEVER cut or drill something into your helmet. Apparently even many adhesives can be unsafe to use as they will weaken the helmet. I'd say to most ideally put things on the bike when possible. I'd rather have a long wire going down my back and plugged in (with a breakaway) than something on my helmet itself. Just my thought.
  • I think I'm going to start off basic. I mainly just need a small LCD display (can get), a tiny arduino (can get), a lens (dunno about this part) and a small combiner (unsure, but going to experiment).

    Sounds like a good place to start
  • tubachris85x
    Like your idea as well. I'm not a motorcyclist, but an amatuer prop replica builder hoping to re-create a functional, if not, at least static HUD represented in the game Halo, for the character of the Master Chief.

    I've only come across little info, but I'm really hoping that the OLED tech become more readily availble. I've seen, and I'm sure you've seen as well, that larger, highly flexible OLED displays have been produced, and can easily be implemented into a helmet visor.

    Forgive me, I'm barely a computer novice (better with hammer and nails lol) but I can imagine someone with the right know-how can produce a stand-alone computer interface that can some how "connect" with your bike's sensors. I also believe that such info could be wirelessly transmitted directly, like through the use of something like Bluetooth.

    Voice command would be cool, but I haven't seen anything too impressive yet to make it too functional...either that or I'm out of the loop.

    In the end, I think it comes to cost and knowing someone who's more knowledgable on the subject. I have a long ways to go before I can even start considering using this ATM. Goodluck!

    -Chris
  • darkfall13
    Wow weird coincidence, was looking for this myself as well. I've come across http://www.sportvue.com/ But I must give props to ingenuity to build things for oneself.
  • I love this idea and actually stumbled across YOUR page while researching companies to see who has something like this on the market already. How far have you gotten? found anything yet? Heard of anything in R&D? I would love to help create a solution to fill this obvious gap. Maybe there is something already in existence in the racing market?
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