“An analog IoT LED clock running on an ESP8266, driving a WS2812B LED strip, constantly synched using an NTP server and controlled by your smartphone via a web server.
Actually, It is not that complicated and all of the above is really easy to achieve if you already have some experience with Arduino, ESP, LED strips, and basic coding.
I wanted to make this clock for a long time ago, and I even found some projects here, but none of them had all the key features I visioned in mind, and the way I see it, It had to have all of these properties:
- Decorative - a clock I would want to hang in my living room.
- Analog - we already have millions of DIY digital clocks.
- Light projection - outwards and inwards.
- Easy to build - Snap fit, no screws, minimum joints, and easy to construct.
- No RTC - yet super accurate.
- IoT - for connectivity, settings, time sync, and control.
The hands of the clock are animated on the LED strip by visualizing the length of each hand:
Second hand (Red) - Long, outward + inward projection
Minute hand (Green) - Long, outward projection only
Hour hand (Blue) - Short, inward projection only
Supplies
- ESP8266/ESP32
- WS2812B LED strip, 120 LEDs, 60 per meter
- Wires
- Soldering iron
- 3D printer
- Laser cutter
- Multimeter
- Basic tools (pliers, cutters…)”