Round clocks are so 20th century! Here's something a bit more post modern and obtuse.
I'll be showing you here another full design project, from idea to design to prototype. The object of our desire today is a linear clock, that is, one that has numerals arranged in a line rather than in a circle, and it'll fit very nicely into many homes and workplaces.
This is a working design process and this instructable will document the whole of it from beginning to end. I hope one day to market and produce the clock, but all the plans and parts are available to download or take from here, in case you'd prefer to do it yourself, or you can make an improved version.
The actual build (starting at step 3) shows an easy to make version, that uses a set of simple parts, and this is my prototype clock. It's the clock I assembled as a proof of concept. It's simple enough that you can probably put it together in an evening if you have the right bits, and substantial and useful enough to be worth spending time on. It uses easy to find parts, doesn't destroy them in the process, and doesn't require anything that's special. It is also forgiving of sloppy production.
Step 15 introduces a few experiments with refinements, and settles on a design. This is really an instructable about design and prototyping. I think that's interesting, so maybe you do too!
I'll be showing you here another full design project, from idea to design to prototype. The object of our desire today is a linear clock, that is, one that has numerals arranged in a line rather than in a circle, and it'll fit very nicely into many homes and workplaces.
This is a working design process and this instructable will document the whole of it from beginning to end. I hope one day to market and produce the clock, but all the plans and parts are available to download or take from here, in case you'd prefer to do it yourself, or you can make an improved version.
The actual build (starting at step 3) shows an easy to make version, that uses a set of simple parts, and this is my prototype clock. It's the clock I assembled as a proof of concept. It's simple enough that you can probably put it together in an evening if you have the right bits, and substantial and useful enough to be worth spending time on. It uses easy to find parts, doesn't destroy them in the process, and doesn't require anything that's special. It is also forgiving of sloppy production.
Step 15 introduces a few experiments with refinements, and settles on a design. This is really an instructable about design and prototyping. I think that's interesting, so maybe you do too!
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Signing UpStep 1: Design considerations and background
Clocks are intriguing. Each one is an intoxicating concoction of machinery, engineering, mathematics, geometry and social programming. They are complex in theory, yet effortless to interpret, and the various patterns and shapes made up by either the hands or the digits have significances that are personal to all of us.
I like an analogue clock. For telling the time (I mean, as opposed to seeing how long to boil an egg) I think an analogue face more satisfyingly describes the nature of time. The experience of time is such an elastic and personal thing, and an analogue face is more open to interpretation.
The are almost always round, however, and for designers, the clock is usually a fairly abstract graphical exercise in styling. I have always been interested in different analogues for time, other than the round face with the sweeping pointers erupting from a central spindle. I like the idea that time can be measured with another kind of metamorphosis is appealing. Maybe an object will change shape over the course of a day, or a balloon will be against the ceiling in the morning and gradually sink throughout the day. Make it fall past a scale drawn on the wall and you have a rather elaborate clock. Do without the scale on the wall, and the assembly still tells the time, but it is harder to be precise, and what metric exactly the device is showing becomes less obvious. Sand timers and water clocks are the most common non-conventional clocks. They suffer from a lack of precision in reading.
I like an analogue clock. For telling the time (I mean, as opposed to seeing how long to boil an egg) I think an analogue face more satisfyingly describes the nature of time. The experience of time is such an elastic and personal thing, and an analogue face is more open to interpretation.
The are almost always round, however, and for designers, the clock is usually a fairly abstract graphical exercise in styling. I have always been interested in different analogues for time, other than the round face with the sweeping pointers erupting from a central spindle. I like the idea that time can be measured with another kind of metamorphosis is appealing. Maybe an object will change shape over the course of a day, or a balloon will be against the ceiling in the morning and gradually sink throughout the day. Make it fall past a scale drawn on the wall and you have a rather elaborate clock. Do without the scale on the wall, and the assembly still tells the time, but it is harder to be precise, and what metric exactly the device is showing becomes less obvious. Sand timers and water clocks are the most common non-conventional clocks. They suffer from a lack of precision in reading.
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keep up the "out of the circle" thinking. I love your brain. LOL
You have a strange and invest-able idea here. It could go a long way.
But one must ask... What would a Grand-daddy Linear Clock look like? :)
Perfect instructable.
So anyway it sat not working very well and I packed it all away to work on other things for a bit (because it's a bit depressing to be surrounded by non-working projects all the time), but I'm going to dig it out again and made a more robust version using the same mechanism as I've shown here. Because it's better to have something _working_ and not perfect, than have it not working at all!
I think a granddaddy linear clock would have to be like a huge T shape. Except that would look somewhat like a lifesize crucifix... so maybe not such a winner in the domestic environment. Have to do some work on that.
Thanks again!
Sandy
Like you say though, the code itself takes the rewind into account, because the time counter runs in the background even while the motors are doing stuff - they are always told to just display the current time.
I think you should add Seconds too, it would be zipping all over the place.
You should fix the filename of the sketch at step 12.
I'm not sure I can fix the filename of the .pde in step 12 - unless I'm missing something?
Sorry I've yet to do an Instructable, so no idea how to rename it, the .tmp is annoying though.
Perhaps others know how? Anyone?
My idea, which you are welcome to is to: use a threaded rod with a captive nut to advance the pointer. It is easy to get rod up to about 3 feet, perhaps longer somewhere. It is also available in nylon. Just support it at both ends and put the nut on the indicator. The motor turns the rod. This gives potentially great force, but at low speed. No problems with layers of drive cord.
In this case it probably doesn't matter too much, since as long as it takes less than a minute, it's ok, and it might be nice to have a serene slow rewind.
A development of that was the idea of using a lead screw like you say to drive the indicator forward, but have a spring-latch that disengages it from the screw when it's finished moving, and another spring or counterweight that quickly pulls it right back to the beginning. I was focussing on that kind of mechanism when I had a vertical clock in my head.
That kind of system would be especially suitable for a mains powered clock, like one that runs on the AC cycle. I love the idea of it slowly grinding away .. Almost like an electricity meter!
Thank you for this instructable.
The aesthetic of it works regardless of how it's powered I guess. I don't like the idea of having a wire hanging out the bottom, which it would have to have if it was powered with the arduino - batteries aren't enough, or at least they wouldn't last for long. I could use those flat white cables and it might look ok, or a nice woven braided cable for an olde telephony or radiogram look. Actually that's a really good idea!
always wanted to do one, especially linear !!
so for a noobie can i buy everything i need from what is mentioned in the comments?
and i see you used a stepping motor board and Arduino + stopper motors ..
and still under $40 ??
thanks
All in, I paid $30 for my arduino, and then $20 for the shield.
Adding to my Favorites
Anyway, awesome concept. I would totally buy one of these!
Cheers!
I must admit though that before I saw the video I assumed the 'tape measure' would move and the needles would remain stationary, I only thought later about how you wont be able to represent three numbers for hours minutes and seconds with one rolling tape.
However the idea might still hold some merit, perhaps you might want to consider something like a moving tape reel for v2? It would be kind of like looking at one of those aeroplane compass displays!