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person’s needs are different, so the
display can be adjusted to customize
the view. For example, the display
can project a cardboard cutout of a
person’s appearance, boost certain
colors, or zoom in or out.
These are only a couple of examples.
Many other medical AR applications
are in the “proof-of-concept” stage,
including live-streaming of patient
visits with remote transcription
services; remote consultation
during surgical procedures; and
assistive learning for children with
autism.
Building Blocks For AR
Systems
What building blocks for AR design?
Many AR applications are still on
the drawing board, but existing
wearable and portable medical
devices already incorporate many
of the core hardware technologies,
with Microchip Technology at
the forefront. The block diagram
for Microchip’s wearable home
health monitor design (Figure 4),
for example, includes a powerful
processor with analog functions,
sensor fusion capability, low power
operation, and cloud connectivity.
Similarly, the XLP (eXtreme Low
Power) family of PICmicrocontrollers
is designed to maximize battery
life in wearable and portable
applications. XLP devices feature
low-power sleep modes with
current consumption down to 9nA
and a wide choice of peripherals.
The PIC32MK1024GPD064, for
example, is a mixed-signal 32-bit
machine that runs at 120MHz, with
a double-precision floating-point
unit and 1MB of program memory.
Signal conditioning peripheral blocks
include four operational amplifiers
(op amps), 26 channels of 12-bit
analog-to-digital conversion (ADC),
three digital-to-analog converters
(DACs), and numerous connectivity
options.
Microchip also offers a sensor fusion
hub, as well as several wireless
connectivity options including Bluetooth
and Wi-Fi modules. Combined with
third-party optics and other blocks,
these components can form the basis
of a low-cost AR solution.
Finally, The Microsoft HoloLens
core combines a 32-bit processor,
a sensor fusion processor, and a
high-definition optical projection
system. Other key components
include wireless connectivity, a
camera and audio interface, power
management, and cloud-based
data analytics.
Conclusion
AR technologies have already
demonstrated their value in medical
applications and promise to bring
big changes over the next few years
to both the clinic and the operating
room. Although the optics add a new
dimension, many of the hardware
building blocks have already been
proven in high-volume wearable
and portable products.
Paul Pickering:
As a freelance
technical writer, Paul Pickering
has written on a wide range of
topics including: semiconductor
components & technology, passives,
packaging,
power
electronic
systems, automotive electronics,
IoT, embedded software, EMC, and
alternative energy. Paul has over 35
years of engineering and marketing
experience in the electronics industry,
including time spent in automotive
electronics, precision analog, power
semiconductors, embedded systems,
logic devices, flight simulation and
robotics. He has hands-on experience
in both digital and analog circuit
design, embedded software, and
Web technologies. Originally from
the
North-East of England, he has
lived and worked in Europe, the US,
and Japan. He has a B.Sc. (Hons)
in Physics & Electronics from Royal
Holloway College, University of
London, and has done graduate
work at Tulsa University
This article was provided by
Mouser Electronics
Figure 4:
A high-end wearable home health monitor includes many of the
blocks needs for an AR application (Source: Microchip Technology)
56 l New-Tech Magazine Europe