Software package Developer Builds Absolutely Purposeful Superhero Helmet

Kris Kersey is an embedded software program developer with about 20 a long time of working experience, an educational YouTuber with 30,000+ subscribers, and a lifelong lover of comics and cosplay.

These interests and know-how came with each other in his first-at any time job using the NVIDIA Jetson system for edge AI and robotics when he produced a totally practical superhero helmet as portrayed in just one of his favored Marvel Comedian movies, Iron Guy.

The 3D-printed helmet comes entire with computer system-eyesight abilities in a heads-up exhibit (HUD) that presents facts wherever the user’s searching, just like in the film.

The NVIDIA Jetson platform processes knowledge from two cameras — a single by just about every eye slot — that see what the helmet’s wearer is seeing. The HUD then offers data which include the current temperature, humidity, altitude and GPS place. It can also classify what’s in the user’s look at dependent on deep neural networks for item detection.

To let other individuals join in on the enjoyment, Kersey shared his complete workflow on his common YouTube channel, Kersey Fabrications.

https://www.youtube.com/check out?v=503SKHSzPWc

Superhero movies and science fiction remind Kersey that chopping-edge technological know-how demands collaboration throughout disciplines, he reported.

“Often, as with this job, artists and storytellers use their imaginations to occur up with fantastic tips — then, it is up to researchers and engineers to make them genuine,” the developer claimed.

About the Maker

Kersey, who analyzed pc science at Southern Polytechnic Point out University — now element of Kennesaw Condition University — in Ga, has wide experience working with embedded microprocessors and architectures. He specializes in the Linux running procedure, which is suitable with the NVIDIA Jetson system.

“Writing software on the Jetson platform didn’t require that I find out a new programming language or operating procedure, which designed it extremely uncomplicated for me,” the maker stated.

By day, he’s a application engineer at an Atlanta-based mostly startup. By evening, he’s doing the job on assignments in his personal makerspace.

“I’ve in no way utilised my garage for automobiles,” he mentioned.

Alternatively, it is full of resources, boards and other equipment that help his great projects.

Kersey emphasized that what’s vital to him most of all, nonetheless, is his family, with whom he likes to participate in board online games, check out films and go on hikes.

His Inspiration

Kersey’s fascination with technological know-how stemmed from his childhood. His mom was a instructor focused on computer system-aided drafting and mechanical design.

“From a really early age, I could tinker with personal computers that she had access to, which generally fascinated me,” he explained. “My cousin also the moment gave me an aged 8-little bit computer system, but there was not a great deal I could do with it, so I recall pulling out the guide and reading the whole issue — that taught me primary programming.”

Extra lately, Kersey bought into 3D printing while aiding his son with a undertaking for Science Olympiad.

“From that instant on, I obtained really into 3D printing as a passion — my son under no circumstances seriously took to it a total large amount,” he mused.

In 2018, Kersey produced his YouTube channel with a aim on 3D printing as a way to delve deeper into the maker local community when educating other people what he’s learned along the way.

A Jetson-Powered Superhero Job

Kersey’s 3D-printed, fully purposeful, wi-fi Iron Man helmet — which he even sanded and painted himself — could be straight out of the legendary films.

The prototype made use of the NVIDIA Jetson Xavier NX developer kit as the core powering its HUD.

“For this complete expertise to experience as magnificent as Iron Man’s tech, it has to be genuine time, reduced latency, high resolution and large frame level,” Kersey mentioned. “It also demands to display screen a large amount of information and facts on display, which necessitates a impressive graphics processor — that is why I selected the Jetson system.”

Jetson developer kits are equipped with a potent, onboard NVIDIA GPU and AI capabilities to supercharge embedded purposes.

Kersey also tapped the NVIDIA TensorRT application advancement package to permit significant-functionality deep-studying inference with very low latency and higher throughput for the challenge.

For the up coming generation of the helmet’s HUD — a task which is “not finished till it’s concluded,” according to the maker — Kersey used the NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano developer kit. Released in September, the kit has set a new normal for generating entry-amount AI-powered robots, smart cameras and much more.

It only took Kersey two several hours to get from opening the Orin Nano box to getting the software deployed and working, he mentioned.

He’s now searching to up grade the challenge with the Jetson Orin NX 16GB method-on-module, as well as construct a whole match beyond the headgear, beginning with prototype aluminum repulsors.

And the developer will before long make the project’s code open resource, so others can easily turn themselves into superheroes, as well.

https://www.youtube.com/observe?v=lReCSRTf7g0

Kersey strategies to put on the upgraded superhero gear at Dragon Con — the world’s most significant multimedia, well known tradition conference — using area in August. Moreover, at this month’s MomoCon in Atlanta, he’ll existing on a panel titled Building It Serious: Superior Tech in Cosplay.

Asked if Iron Guy is his favorite superhero, Kersey said with a smile: “He is appropriate now.”

Look at out Kersey Fabrications on YouTube and understand additional about the NVIDIA Jetson platform.