Can't afford Google Glass? Make your own like this guy did

Shawn Knight

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Don’t want to wait another year for Google Glass to drop? Or perhaps you didn’t have $1,500 to spare when the Explorer edition kits were available for pre-order last year? Apparently neither did an Australian techie so he did the next best thing – made his own. Meet Flass, Google Glass’ Australian brother.

Ok, so it’s nowhere nearly as refined as the real thing but that doesn’t mean it’s any less impressive. OCAU forum member Ash_Williams designed Flass from the ground up to be a clone of Google Glass. The name, if you hadn’t already figured out, is a play on the words “fake” and “glass.”

aussie google glass flass

The device is powered by a Samsung Galaxy S i9000 which feeds the display using TV-out to a MyVu Crystal 701. There’s also a Bluetooth keyboard and a Bluetooth earpiece – all mounted on a pair of standard looking glasses. The designer said he hopes to ultimately use a Raspberry Pi to power the unit instead of the phone so screen power isn’t an issue.

aussie google glass flass

The kit will soon be receiving an upgrade, however, as he has a 3D-printed Google Glass frame on the way to use for reference to build an everyday version. The most recent post in the thread (dated May 2) noted that the thread would be updated sometime next week once the Glass replica is in. Additional plans for a future revision include integrating a camera into the system and refining the user interface a bit.

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Ash_Williams here, actually it's not that bad, wearing it for 3 days full-time now and it's honestly not bad. First day I had a massive headache but the following days it was completely normal!
 
Ash_Williams here, actually it's not that bad, wearing it for 3 days full-time now and it's honestly not bad. First day I had a massive headache but the following days it was completely normal!

lol man there's a reason you had headaches the first day, and if it goes away after 3 days it doesn't mean it's healthy now.
 
lol man there's a reason you had headaches the first day, and if it goes away after 3 days it doesn't mean it's healthy now.
The weight and shape of the frames alone can cause headaches. Thats nothing new for condemning the thought of wearing any glasses. And if that is the case, it has nothing to do with unhealthy concepts regarding the eyes.
 
These things all combine to produce an unhealthy device:
- You're looking unnaturally at upward angle.
- The 'screen' is way too small.
- The depth of the screen is way too close to eyes.

This all applies to Google Glass too. It's a flawed product.
 
"The device is powered by a Samsung Galaxy S i9000 which feeds the display using TV-out to a MyVu Crystal 701..."

And yet it's clearly a Nokia N9 in the first picture...
 
Seeing as this guy isn't the first person to hook a MyVu to some glasses I'm not sure what the fuss is about...
 
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