August 19th, 2024

Lenticular Clock

The Lenticular Clock project combines lenticular animation with clock functionality, using specific materials and 3D printing, while synchronizing time via Wi-Fi for a visually engaging timepiece.

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Lenticular Clock

The Lenticular Clock project by mosivers combines lenticular animation with clock functionality, allowing the time to be displayed through a series of interlaced images viewed at different angles. The project requires specific materials, including servo motors, a PCA9685 PWM driver board, a Wemos D1 mini ESP8266, and a lenticular sheet. The process begins with selecting the appropriate lenticular sheet based on lenses per inch (LPI), with 20 LPI being optimal for clear animations. Calibration of the LPI is necessary due to manufacturing and printing tolerances. The creator used software to interlace images of digits, which were printed on self-adhesive foil and attached to the lenticular sheet. The assembly involves 3D printing holders for the sheets and housing for the electronics. The final step includes coding in the Arduino IDE to control the servo motors and synchronize the clock with local time via Wi-Fi. The project showcases a unique blend of art and technology, resulting in a visually engaging timepiece.

- The Lenticular Clock uses lenticular animation to display time through interlaced images.

- Key materials include servo motors, a PCA9685 board, and a lenticular sheet.

- Calibration of the lenticular sheet's LPI is crucial for clear image separation.

- The project involves 3D printing components for housing and holders.

- The clock synchronizes time via Wi-Fi using an ESP8266 module.

AI: What people are saying
The comments on the Lenticular Clock project reveal a mix of enthusiasm and curiosity about lenticular technology and its applications.
  • Several commenters express their fascination with lenticular sheets and the technology behind them.
  • There are suggestions for enhancing the clock's functionality, such as integrating e-paper displays.
  • Some users share their personal experiences and experiments with creating lenticular images.
  • Concerns are raised about the practicality of the clock design and its visibility from different angles.
  • Historical references to lenticular postcards and their popularity in the past are mentioned.
Link Icon 11 comments
By @calebm - 8 months
I love lenticulars. I'm working on writing my own lenticular software right now. You can see some of my lenticular math art here: https://gods.art/
By @andrewla - 8 months
I'm most blown away just by the very existence of lenticular sheets -- I didn't know that this was a general-purpose thing that you could do at home Years ago I paid for a 3d lenticular photo print but I always assumed the technology to do so was out of my reach.
By @Someone - 8 months
Utterly impractical as a clock. Brilliant hack.

I guess version two will add a camera, an eye detector and two servos to orient the clock to create a real-live hybrid of xclock and xeyes.

By @mhb - 8 months
By @sdflhasjd - 8 months
I had some success making lenticular sheets using a 3d printer by printing a single-walled cylinder using a clear PETG, cutting it up and flattening it out using a heat gun. You can use the layer height to control "LPI". One problem is that it's double-sided, which reduces the quality quite a bit.
By @MaximilianEmel - 8 months
Won't this show the wrong glyph if you're looking at it from the wrong angle?
By @illwrks - 8 months
Very clever idea. I wonder if instead of a printed sheet if you could combine it with an e-paper display with an interlaced image and then you could load different image sequences...
By @dr_kiszonka - 8 months
Lenticular postcards were relatively popular in the 60s and 70s (iirc). A family member brought some from Japan and I was fascinated by them. Sadly, they got lost over the years :-(
By @stavros - 8 months
This is really cool! I had no idea you could just buy these sheets, I always thought you have to make them specially. The fact that you can buy them and then print a pattern is amazing.
By @eru - 8 months
The old Google badges used to have lenticular images, too. (Perhaps they still do? I haven't been working there in a while.)