Help identify a mystery HMD
December 27, 2009 10:18 AM Subscribe
Can you identify this ancient (relatively) head-mounted monocular display?
A friend of mine's dad bought a huge lot of surplus electronics (speakers, switches/hubs, etc) from government surplus (in Michigan, US; not sure if it was state or federal). Included was this old head-mounted display. It's monocular, VGA, with a black and white CRT that I can drive at 640x480 from my macbook pro. The only identifying mark is the white angular flower-thing logo on the headband/earphone. It's permanently connected to an 18VDC wall-wart (APS 6818-13A, if it matters), so it clearly wasn't meant for portable use.
Anyone have any idea who manufactured this, and what the original context of use might have been? I'm pretty sure it's not worth more than scrap value at this point, but I'm curious 'bout the background.
A friend of mine's dad bought a huge lot of surplus electronics (speakers, switches/hubs, etc) from government surplus (in Michigan, US; not sure if it was state or federal). Included was this old head-mounted display. It's monocular, VGA, with a black and white CRT that I can drive at 640x480 from my macbook pro. The only identifying mark is the white angular flower-thing logo on the headband/earphone. It's permanently connected to an 18VDC wall-wart (APS 6818-13A, if it matters), so it clearly wasn't meant for portable use.
Anyone have any idea who manufactured this, and what the original context of use might have been? I'm pretty sure it's not worth more than scrap value at this point, but I'm curious 'bout the background.
Response by poster: Hmm. I've uploaded it here too. Additional detail I forgot to mention: the headset has a single earphone and microphone, visible in the picture. Both are broken out to 1/8" mono mini jacks.
posted by Alterscape at 11:05 AM on December 27, 2009
posted by Alterscape at 11:05 AM on December 27, 2009
Wow that's an oldie. I don't even see that one on the ultimate list of every HMD ever. The logo is not familiar. Are you willing to crack it open?
posted by rlk at 12:36 PM on December 27, 2009
posted by rlk at 12:36 PM on December 27, 2009
Kinda reminds me of something a doctor would use in robotic surgery...
posted by Jinx of the 2nd Law at 9:23 PM on December 27, 2009
posted by Jinx of the 2nd Law at 9:23 PM on December 27, 2009
Response by poster: Apparently the display came with a pseudo-wearable (tethered to a power cord) computer branded Martin Marietta. I didn't realize those folks made wearables, although I suppose at some point in the past they might have.
posted by Alterscape at 2:54 PM on December 28, 2009
posted by Alterscape at 2:54 PM on December 28, 2009
Best answer: That's a Kopin logo.
http://www.kopin.com/
posted by at at 11:14 PM on December 28, 2009
http://www.kopin.com/
posted by at at 11:14 PM on December 28, 2009
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by zoinks at 10:45 AM on December 27, 2009