Wallace is a wall clock with a bit of a personality. It doesn't like to be stared at, if you do so it would slow down until it stops. On the other hand, it loves it when it's dark: if you turn off the lights it would go backwards. It acts normal when it is left alone.
The goal in this project was to experiment with a concept as abstract as time traveling, and to explore the interactions that could be offered with such a familiar interface.
The first thing we did was hacking the analog clock mechanism so we could control the movement of the arms using a motor. For it the most important task was to get the timing perfect: we are so used to the tic-tac sound that the slightless change was easily perceived, and so more annoying!
To achieve that we used an Arduino Uno, a stepper motor, and a new set of gears.
Once we got it working we could play with the input so that whatever sensor we used could alter the behavior of the clock's arms.
We ended up using a distance sensor to slow it down and a light sensor to make it go backwards. At this point we realized that the possibilities were endless, but every project with a deadline must come to an end...
The only thing left was to create a case to hide the components, and give it a name. And thus we created Wallace!
This project was part of the experience prototyping course.
with Marlene Kettner
5 days project
Umeå Institute of Design, Sweden 2012
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"I HATE BEING BIPOLAR. IT´S GREAT." -WALLACE THE WALL CLOCK
You can check out the process log here.