The Flock Clock uses male and female drinking birds to display time. Binary addition of the female birds (left to right) yields the hour. Binary addition of the male birds (multiplied by five) yields the minute--within five minutes. An Arduino processor provides the signals needed to drive Peltier cells which heat the fluid in the birds and causes the bobbing motion.
102-1671-nd Peltier digikey.com
pb1124-nd relay digikey.com
drinking birds teachersource.com
320081 5 volt 6 amp power supply for Peltier jameco.com
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Cut a 12" by 12" piece of 1/4" thick plexiglass for the base. Use four three inch long acrylic rods to support the upper plate (I cut the handle of a fancy toilet plunger for these rods).
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Great Ible,
Thanks!
Fanboys like solutions only they and a few others can use in order to make them feel elite.
Fun clock though, even if it's complicated to read
Same as how the guy who fixes my car is not an engineer, he's a mechanic.
You can't claim fanboys aren't defined by their smug elitism.
I'm not trolling, just looking to better define and use terms.
:)
You, sir, have quite possibly created the single coolest thing in existence. I gotta make one of these to sit on my fireplace mantel. :D
If you use a 12 ohm 3 watt resistor for heat, you can save a lot of money (and probably mount them more easily than Peltier cells). The start/stop response of a resistor is better--but resistors do get pretty hot and smelly. I haven't tried one long enough to see if the odor ever goes away. If you control the heaters with a power transistor, you could eliminate relays, diodes, sockets (cost and labor).
The photos really don't capture the "technosexy" look . . . and the thing is fascinating even to those (most people) who don't want to tackle reading the time.
Exciting!!!!
i would have a hard time to tell the time in the morning.
wouldnt it be nice to have that one on your wrist :)
Brilliant lateral thinking!
(I never realised they came in 'male' and 'female' varieties. I assumed that my recent 'male' one was a safer replacement fluid than the 'female' one I had years ago #;¬)
Here is a thought: by the time one figures out what time it is with your fabulous contraption, that time is long gone. Which leads one to realize that time is fleeting. Conclusion: Carpe diem, enjoy the day, smell the roses, create wild things...like this clock.
Thank you for sharing it so diligently! 5*
This is the ultimate in geek clocks!