What it does
CosmoLens is a pair of smart binoculars that integrates AI star recognition, Augmented Reality, & high-resolution camera. It makes celestial navigation easy, AR insights on focused objects, wildlife mode for nature exploration, & integrated knowledge database.
Your inspiration
During one of my recent experience of star gazing using binoculars and telescope in the northern hemisphere, I was first guided & educated about constellations and using a planisphere. Then I was given a pair of binoculars to observe Ursa Major, Cassiopeia, Polaris, etc. However I yearned for clarity through it, to know precisely which constellation I was observing, to understand direction in vast celestial expanse, to find Polaris easily. It was later that night that I thought if there could be binoculars that label stars and capture cosmic moments. A desire to bridge gap between wonder & understanding was born in me.
How it works
CosmoLens is a normal high quality pair of binoculars with advanced AR system & built-in Camera integration. AR is projected on both eyepieces, overlays informative labels directly onto user's view, eliminating the guesswork of identifying the focused objects (including precise latitude & longitude info). It has a built-in purpose of planisphere, with a (online/offline) database of millions of earthly obeservations & sciences, stars, galaxies & a detective deep space mode! Rechargeable battery is needed only for the AR display. CosmoLens comes with built-in dual camera (RGB & infrared) to capture celestial scenes, & is enabled with WiFi & Bluetooth for data transfer to smart devices. Some technicalities include; magnification upto 12x for versatility, Porro prism architecture, 10° degree field of view, 60mm diameter & exit pupil of 5mm. A tripod mount is also integrated into the design, enabling users to stabilise the binoculars for long duration observations.
Design process
As the concept from that day started to align more in my thoughts, I started to sketch some very rough drawings of normal binoculars. I read more & researched deeper into the concepts & designs of astronomical binoculars. I started to understand the individual elements required. Over time, I made alot of sketches of binoculars, exploring different angles of possibilities. One of my favorite initial designs was combining binoculars with camera. With roof prism architecture, it was a basic prototype design to test the feasibility of aligning eyepieces & camera lens. I studied on it for a few weeks. However, as update to advanced features, I had to improvise iteratively on balancing weight, better optical quality, prisms. The design started to get complex, internal & external, to include many features of porro prism, optical glass, diameter optimisation, AR overlay calibration, AI complexity, battery, controls, into just one, over a period of few weeks. Designing intuitive buttons, dials, fine tuning lens coatings, diopter adjustments and focus mechanisms became crucial. Alongside, I also read about & explored durable materials and weather proofing for it to withstand outdoor conditions. After many iterations, it steadily started to sketch into the present day sketch of CosmoLens.
How it is different
CosmoLens integrates an AR system that overlays informative labels directly onto the user's view, providing real-time context and precise latitude/longitude information. Unlike standard binoculars, CosmoLens includes a purpose built-in planisphere that enhances exploration with access to a vast database. It features versatile camera integration - both RGB and infrared cameras, to capture celestial scenes, document user observations, and share. It includes a tripod mount, allowing for stable observations as well. Thus, the unique blend of AR, planisphere functionality, and dual cameras all in one, make CosmoLens a unique and holistic observational experience.
Future plans
Some of my next steps to improvise development will be: 1) Lightweight and Compactness - to prioritise weight reduction, ensuring comfortable usage for long hours. Alongside work to stream the body, reduce bulk and enhance portability and aesthetics. 2) Deep space database expansion - enhance deep space capabilities, integrate maybe guided tours of the real-time night sky, and add features like real-time tracking of planets, comets and galaxies.
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