Important news about HackSpace

We have some important news to share about HackSpace: Issue 81 was the last issue of HackSpace as a standalone magazine, and HackSpace has become part of the Raspberry Pi Official Magazine. Starting with issue 145, We’ll be adding pages to the Raspberry Pi Official Magazine to make room for the stories and tutorials you’ve come to expect from HackSpace.

Servo Word Clock

By Ben Everard. Posted

Servo Word Clock

This word clock is different to others. Where the traditional approach is to light up the words in order to spell out a phrase that tells the time, this version has all the letters lit at the same time – but not in focus. Each letter is lit from behind by an RGB LED mounted onto a linear actuator. To display the letter, the actuator brings that letter into focus; to stop displaying it, it moves the LED so that it’s not in focus.

So it’s simple in theory, but in practice, it uses 114 servos, 320 3D-printed parts, a custom PCB for the main electronics, a laser-cut acrylic case, and a whole lot of engineering precision.


Ben Everard

Ben is the Editor of HackSpace magazine. When not wrangling words, he enjoys cycling, gardening, and attempting to identify wild mushrooms.

From HackSpace magazine store

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