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Project North Star is an open source Augmented and Mixed Reality headset designed by Leap motion. I was extremely excited by Project North Star when it was release in the middle of 2018 and decided to build my own version in 2019 as a fun side project.
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The official version of the Northstar headset is traditionally known for its complexity, featuring 27 distinct parts that need to be meticulously assembled to create a functional unit. This multifaceted approach, while robust, presents certain challenges such as increased assembly time, potential for errors, and higher cost.
As a solution, I produced this single part STL model that encapsulates all the complexities of the traditional 27-part assembly into one sleek, cohesive unit.
single part frame
I utilized SolidWorks to prep the one-shot frame design, ensuring every contour and connection was optimized for 3D printing and sent it off to a commercial 3D printing service.
3d Printable version
After a few iterations of frames I ended up with a result that I was fairly happy with. The frame was designed to accomodate:
- 2x 3.5 inch TFT displays
- 2x custom milled reflective lenses
- 1x Leap Motion controller for hand tracking
I repurposed a strap from a construction helmet to mount the North Star headset frame, ensuring both comfort and stability. This strap, originally designed to secure a helmet firmly yet comfortably on a worker's head, proved to be an ideal solution.
Head strap
I test fit the two TFT displays and custom crafted reflective lenses purchased from an online vendor. The lenses are designed to work in tandem with the displays, efficiently directing the images onto the viewer's eyes. This synergy between the TFT displays and the reflective lenses is crucial, as it creates a seamless and immersive experience, pivotal in bringing the North Star project to life.
North Star has seen several hardware revisions, yet its software development is notably lacking. The only available resource is a basic Unity project by Leap Motion for initial calibration. This scarcity of software options is further compounded by a significant shortage of documentation.
After much trial and error I had the North Star setup almost ready, needing only minor tweaks before calibration. For those using non-BOE displays, as per Leap Motion's reference design, some additional modifications were necessary.
calibration tuning
Capturing visuals seen through the headset was arguably the most difficult part of this process. I successfully rigged a custom hand model, where each finger was meticulously programmed with its own collision logic.
Through experimentation, I found that as I would move my head around distortion and other artifacts would appear due to the single frame design and the flex in the 3D print material. In future iterations, I would focus on addressing these issues by experimenting with different printing materials that offer greater rigidity.
