@the.Legend
I have being using ActiveLook glasses as an altimeter for almost one year.
I have a Viso II in my wrist and two audible altimeters in my helmet, so do not fear for my life in this experimental process.
There is a way to create a MVP (Minimum Viable Product) with the software available on the market.
What do you need?
- Patience. I will not work perfectly first time
- Full face helmet. This glasses are not airtight
- Active look glasses. I use Cosmo Vision (discontinued) because they were cheap. But Engo should work.
- An Android phone with barometer. I use an old Samsung S8, which has a refresh rate of 10hz (10 times per second) in the barometer. Pixel 6 and newer may work better, as they had a higger refresh date and accuracy in the barometer. If I am not wrong 25hz. Not tested yet
I would avoid Iphones and Garmin as their barometer refresh date is of only 1Hz (¡¡1 TIME PER SECOND!! Too many things happen in 1 second in freefall)
- XCTrack app. This is a paragliding app, but it have integrated barometer capabilities and ActiveLook
- Subscription to XCtrack PRO (around 1€/$ per month). Being subscribed allows you to edit the active look layout.
How I make it work?
1- In the XCTrack app, create a layout were ONLY barometric altitude is shown.
There are more options as Glide Ratio, distance to a waypoint, etc, but I have not tested them (I am not wingsuiter)
2- Connect to the glasses through bluethooth, etc
3- Prior to the take-off, make the barometric altitude show 0. How?
a- In the sensor calibration of the app, check the barometric pressure.
b- Adjust the QNH to the current pressure, so the app thinks you are at sea level. Altitude =0
Jump into the plane, and see your glasses make some magic and the diference with your well paid altimeter.
Things to consider.
- Update rate of the activelook glasses is 1 per second. Do not expect more than that.
- Adjustment of the layout and glasses will take some jumps. If you have a head mounted camera, helmet may rotate slighly backwards, move the glasses up and move the numbers up. Maybe you have to put the numbers down in the layout.
- During the takeoff you will see strange things with the altitude shown. You have just find that your altimeters does not tell you all the truth in order not to fear you. Read about dinamic and static pressure, speed, and how pitot tube works and you will understand everything.
- Do not expect Minority Report result, or fighter HUD. You will not see the altitude all the time. You have to focus your view slightly up and left to see the screen. This is easier and quicker than looking at your cheststrap (moving the head) or your wristband (moving the head and the arm)
If you are intererested in making the same experiment than me, I can record the screen of the configuration steps, or even share a configuration file of the app. Make me know.
This is quite experimental, use additional altitude awareness devices (akka official altimeters) as primary source for altitude awareness
Blue and digital skies
