Make your Own 21st Century Sundial
If you thought sundials were a thing of the past, think again. The only difference is that this time around things are much more high tech. Over at 5volt there is a fantastic tutorial demonstrating how to build your own laser sundial.
The great thing is that this task can actually be completed with ease, as long as you have the right parts and a bit of free time.
- To start, you will need to find a laser (our store has absurdly low laser prices). This laser will act as the pinion (aka…the part you’ll read to tell time).
- From there, the only other two pieces you’ll need are: an arduino microcontroller and an RC servo.
- Once you mount the laser on to the servo, you will begin to see your new sundial coming together. The microcontroller (the arduino) is used to keep accurate time.
Even though a regular clock would do just fine, there is something about owning a high tech sundial that’s way more original! To get an idea of how your sundial will perform, once it’s completed, take a look at the video below:
September 17th, 2009
i see no way to build this device where is the laser positioned? and why is it not a constant beam instead of on and off