The traditional clock has had its day.A German creator has designed a robot that writes the time using a dry wipe pen on a miniature white board (Figure 1).
- The Plotclock was designed by Thingiverse member Johannes
- It writes the time in 24-hour clock using a pen on a miniature white board
- The number is then erased and the next corresponding time is written
- It is powered by an Arduino board and the parts of the clock are 3D printed
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| Figure 1. | Plotclock, pictured, is made up of 3D printed parts and mechanisms, connected by M3 nuts, bolts and thread tape. |
Its mechanical arms then erase the time from this board, before starting again - and each time the robot writes, the numbers correspond to the real-world time as its being written.Scroll down for video...
The Plotclock, pictured, was designed by Thingiverse member Joo, also known as Johannes from Nuremburg. It writes the time, in hours and minutes, on a white board using a dry wipe pen, before erasing it and starting again
THE PLOTCLOCK’S SPECIFICATIONS
To make the Plotclock, users will need:
- A laser cutter or 3D printer
- 1 Arduino Uno board
- 3 servos
- 1 dry wipe pen
- A piece of white board
- M3 nuts, bolts, thread tape
Instructions, with pictures, can be downloaded from Thinigverse.
Dubbed Plotclock, the contraption only displays hours and minutes in 24-hour clock, meaning that the time it takes to write the numbers doesn’t cause a delay.
Plotclock is made up of 3D printed parts and mechanisms, connected by M3 nuts, bolts and thread tape.
It is powered by an Arduino Uno board and three servos control and manage the movement of its arms.
Plotclock, pictured, is made up of 3D printed parts and mechanisms, connected by M3 nuts, bolts and thread tape
Plotclock is powered by an Arduino Uno board, while three servos control and manage the movement of its arms, as seen in Figure 2.
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| Figure 2. | Plotclock is powered by an Arduino Uno board, while three servos control and manage the movement of its arms, as seen in this diagram. Joo has uploaded step-by-step instructions, with pictures and specifications, online to help other people create their own device. |
Joo has uploaded step-by-step instructions, with pictures and specifications, online to help other people create their own device
Joo’s Plotclock is just the latest in a line of 21st century redesigns of the traditional and digital clock.
Demonstration video
