Welding Tips and Tricks

Glad someone is thinking about better visuals than with these bulky helmets. The prototype in the video can probably be brought down to a pair of sunglasses in size with miniaturization. In that video, the contrasts are much better than thru even an expensive helmet.

RoatanBill wrote:Glad someone is thinking about better visuals than with these bulky helmets. The prototype in the video can probably be brought down to a pair of sunglasses in size with miniaturization. In that video, the contrasts are much better than thru even an expensive helmet.

Indeed. In reality, the contrasts are better than human eyes can do without such assistance. With high resolution HDR capable cameras being so common, small, and (relatively) inexpensive these days and processing power also very available, I'm surprised someone is not selling something along these lines in a more workable package already. Even if only for particular applications or whatever.

That video is from 2012, and the required technology has come a very long way in the few years since.

Some old movies showed pilots wearing skull caps with goggles. Football "helmets" from decades ago were just padded leather skull caps.
Why do I have to have this bulky gadget on my head to weld? What I'd want is a skull cap with today's electronic auto darkening goggles on a hinge that would let me push them out of the way. I routinely bang my helmet on part of the work when I'm trying to squeeze my head into an area to get close enough to see what I'm doing. The helmet is a hindrance. I can see a production welder using today's helmets, but I weld for a minute or two and then remove the helmet to do some more metal work that usually involves putting on hearing muffs and safety glasses to cut some steel or grind something. It's the constant dance of switching helmets that wastes a ton of time.

With a camera set up and some simple shielding, all I'd need is some minimal spark protection that could amount to safety glasses and a baseball cap and I could keep that on all day. No more magnifying lenses and my head crammed into tiny spaces to see what's going on. Helmets, even the best of them, are a sorry excuse for what I think we need.

RoatanBill wrote:.....With a camera set up and some simple shielding, all I'd need is some minimal spark protection that could amount to safety glasses and a baseball cap and I could keep that on all day. No more magnifying lenses and my head crammed into tiny spaces to see what's going on. Helmets, even the best of them, are a sorry excuse for what I think we need.

Sounds like a business opportunity!
Someone needs to do this, I'm betting there is money to be made.