This Physics Clock Proves That Concrete Is a Fantastic Material for Project Enclosures
We don’t see concrete as an enclosure material very often, which is part of why Alex Harding’s Concrete Physics Clock stood out to us.
Altoids tins and universal plastic cases were the go-to enclosures for electronics projects for decades, until affordable and approachable 3D printing became the standard. While some people fabricate their enclosures in other ways, 3D printing has made it quick and easy to create project cases that are unique and aesthetically pleasing. But as much as we appreciate a well-designed and clean 3D-printed enclosure, we love to see people taking less conventional routes. Alex Harding is one such person who used concrete for the enclosure of his beautiful physics clock.
Harding’s Concrete Physics Clock is, as the name suggests, a clock made from concrete. The enclosure has a very cool industrial vibe that is somehow both grungey and minimalist. The weight of the concrete also perfectly matches the way the clock operates. The “physics” part of the name comes from how the time is displayed. The clock has a large screen that the counted seconds drop down into. As they fall, they pile up in a jumble using simulated physics. That would look awesome enough on its own, but the Concrete Physics Clock has another trick up its sleeve. When the clock is tilted, all of those seconds tumble around as the vector of the simulated gravity is redirected. It’s a really nifty effect that would keep us flipping the clock over and over again throughout the day.
The screen display and physics are running as a Processing sketch that is based on Dan Shiffman’s Box2D tutorials. That screen is an OLED from a smartphone that is approximately 5 inches. It’s controlled by a Raspberry Pi that is also running the Processing sketch. An Adafruit LSM6DS33 6-DoF accelerometer and gyroscope IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit) module is used to monitor the orientation of the clock. That fantastic enclosure was made by pouring concrete into a 3D-printed form. Harding had previously used the same technique to create small concrete enclosures for IoT buttons and switches. This was his largest concrete enclosure yet and Harding says that he was a little unhappy with the finish, but we think it looks absolutely amazing. He has hinted that he might publish other versions in the future, so be sure to stay on the lookout for those.