Introduction: Sigma! Reading Watch

HI! My name is Andrew Shubin and this is the story how I was doing the project of watch with e-ink display for reading books at the school Fab Lab Polytech!

Step 1: Idea Creation!

I love to read, and you? Books - my best friends, but my real hobby is electronics and mechanics. But my biggest problem - the lack of time and the inconvenience of reading. That's why I decided to create a watch for reading with band which can quickly remove and put on. That's what I needed for this venture.

List of materials:

  • Intel Galileo GEN 2
  • Embedded Artists 2.7 inch E-paper Display module Rev C
  • 14 pcs female-to-male jumper wires
  • "Gerkon" magnet key
  • Magnet
  • Silicone
  • Tin plate
  • Sharp knife

Step 2: Attention! the Concept!

With the help of my imagination and the straight hands of my friend - the designer, as well as through programs Adobe Illustrator and Cinema 4D, we gave birth to a miracle, namely the concept of watches. At first I wanted to do a project based on the flexible e-ink display, but due to poor location and hard political situation between my country and the supplying country, I had to be content with little. As a result, I did not regret about it, and now I know how to upgrade my project.

Step 3: Acquaintance With Intel

Our school was held in the framework of cooperation with Intel, what kindly provided us with their microcontrollers. Galileo GEN 2 has proved to be a good analogue of favorite Arduino and Raspberry Pi with excellent speed and connection components.

Step 4: Atlas Shrugged

It was time for the selection of the watch base. I needed a solid base of my wrist watch, which could be removed from the hands and put on hand easily and quickly. As a result, choice has fallen on a tin bracelet, with which we congratulate it!

Step 5: 3D-printing

To make the body of my watch of silicone, first I had to make molds for casting. 3D-printer helped me in this difficult matter. I just used the latest technology in the business. 3D. Printing. Simply.

Step 6: "Gerkon" What Is It?

Gerkon (an acronym for "sealed [magnetically] touch") - an electromechanical device, which is a pair of ferromagnetic contacts sealed in a sealed glass flask. In a presentation to the reed of a permanent magnet or an electromagnet is turned on, the contacts close. It's so simple, is not it?

He needed to move from one mode to another. The disclosed watch to display text, closed watch to display the time.

Step 7: Silicon Valley

As well as the heroes of the eponymous TV-show, I dream to create a startup. Who knows, maybe this project will help me. Actually, I just filled in a flexible silicone Alcorsil 315, which is a long time to dry, in the form and waited.

Waited.

Waited.

Waited.

And then I pulled out the body of my watch!

Step 8: Programming Intel and E-ink

Loading sketch written in Arduino IDE earlier on Intel Galileo GEN 2, it's an another distinct advantage of the Intel controller. Compile. Done.

Unfortunately, at the moment I can only displayed pictures .xbm format. In the future, I plan to upload to watch the whole books.

Step 9: Crafting!

Assembling all the components together.

It turned out not quite what was intended. In the plans: the use of the flexible E-Ink display, a smaller controller and more suitable body.