An embedded software developer and YouTube channel star has created a fully working superhero helmet based on the Marvel Comics "Iron Man" movies.
According to a May 4 NVIDIA blog post, Kris Kersey has more than 20 years of experience developing embedded software and has more than 30,000 subscribers on YouTube. He also has a lifelong passion for cosplay and comics. His first project using the NVIDIA Jetson platform for edge AI and Robotics brought together these areas of interest, which led to the creation of the helmet.
“Often, as with this project, artists and storytellers use their imaginations to come up with brilliant ideas — then, it’s up to scientists and engineers to make them real,” Kersey said in the release.
The 3D-printed helmet has computer vision capabilities and a heads-up display that shows information wherever the user looks, much like the helmet in the movies, the release reported.
The NVIDIA Jetson platform analyzes data from a pair of cameras that view what the helmet's wearer is seeing, with one per eye slot, according to the release. The information is displayed on the heads-up display, including the current altitude, temperature and humidity. On the basis of object detection using deep neural networks, it can also categorize what the user is viewing.
Kersey revealed the process on his YouTube channel — Kersey Fabrications — to entertain his viewers, the release said.
Kersey said science fiction and superhero movies are good reminders to collaborate across fields, according to the release. He said he has been intrigued by technology since he was a child.
His mother was a teacher and used computer-aid drafting and mechanical design, the release reported. Additionally, he recently started using 3D printing to help his son with a Science Olympiad project, which helped catch his interest.
Kersey went to school at Southern Polytechnic State University in Georgia, which is now part of Kennesaw State University, the release said. He worked with embedded microprocessors and architectures and specializes in Linux, which is compatible with the NVIDIA Jetson platform.
