Apr. 26, 2015 | By Simon
Among all of the current industries that are seeing just how much of an impact 3D printing can have on existing processes, the space exploration and manufacturing industry is perhaps seeing some of the most exciting developments to date. Between sending the very first 3D printer up into orbit to seeing that it is possible to email STL files from Earth to the International Space Station to be printed, a lot has happened within the last year alone. Now, a new project that was done for the 2015 SpaceApps Challenge has also made use of 3D printing to help aid in the space exploration experience.
The Eye of Horus is a 3D printed open source platform that allows a user to control devices simply by looking at them using eye tracking and light beacons to control wireless protocols. It was created by the Makeroni incubator in Zaragoza, Spain.
Inspired by the ancient Egyptian symbol of protection and good health that shares the same name, the project (both the hardware and the software) was built from scratch during the Space Apps Zaragoza to solve the Space Wearables Challenge as a part of the NASA-sponsored competition.
“NASA engineers doing lab and field work often need to operate with computers and other tools but in some situations this interaction is not easy and may cause them to interrupt their activities,” said the project creators.
“The absence of gravity hinders the mobility of the astronauts inside the station and may affect their work and safety. We accepted the Space Apps challenge for creating a wearable accessory that could help people interacting with computers, electronic devices and also everyday things just looking at them.”
In addition to aiding astronauts during space exploration missions, the technology can also be used to assist many lives on Earth. Among others include those with disabilities that affect mobility, drivers who would otherwise interact with instruments while driving and as a eye-controlled cursor for a variety of digital applications including video games and design software.
Aside from the printed circuit board (PCB) and software components, the Eye of Horus was created entirely by using 3D printing. The casing was designed to integrate the electrical components - which included the PCB along with a Serial Bluetooth 4.0 BLE Module, a Relay Control Module, an Arduino Pro Mini and an Infrared LED - into a single and seamless system.
In total, two 3D printed iterations were made during the development of the Eye of Horus. While version one was designed as an accessory for the Google Glass, version two became its own standalone unit that was independent from the Google Glass.
The team was able to present their final design recently during a Space Apps Zaragoza weekend and have set their sites on the near future for pushing the development of their eye-tracking devices - perhaps even via Kickstarter.
“The most important part of this project is the viability and profitability. We believe this project is highly sustainable. We can create a crowdfunding campaign using all the documentation,” said team member Jose Luis Berrocal.
“We have succeeded in 48 hours a functional prototype to show our system. It is easy to build, cheap and technological.”
Posted in 3D Printing Applications
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