Plotting time with an Arduino Uno

A Maker by the name of Johannes has designed an Arduino-powered clock that plots time in a rather unique fashion.

Key project components include an Atmel-based Arduino Uno (ATmega328), laser cutter or 3D printer, three servos, one dry wipe pen, M3 nuts, bolts and thread tap.

So, how does it work? Well, as HackADay’s Abe Connelly explains, the aptly named PlotClock uses a dry wipe pen to write out the time on a dry erase board.

As noted above, the PlotClock comprises three small 9g servos, with one to lift the pen off the writing surface and the other two to control a pair of connected jointed arms for the x and y-axis.

“The little robot painstakingly wipes away the previous time before scrawling the current time in its place with minute accuracy,” added Connelly.

The project was recently posted to Thingiverse and can be found here, along with detailed build instructions and the relevant Arduino sketch. You can read the DailyMail’s write up of the PlotClock here.

Readers may also want to check out some of our previous clock stories posted on Bits & Pieces in recent weeks, including “Xronos Clock keeps time with the ATmega644p,” “Building a Mini 7-Segment Clock (V2)

,” 

”Arduino Micro powers this LED matrix clock,” 

”A retro modern Nixie clock with Atmel’s ATmega48,” and the “Arduino-powered Game of Life Clock“.