Summary of 3D PRINTED EARTH CLOCK IS CUTE REPLICA OF OUR DELICATE PLANET
This 3D printed Earth clock uses an Arduino Nano and stepper motor to rotate a painted globe within a black shroud, simulating day and night cycles. A three-stage planetary gear reduction drives a date wheel for annual accuracy, though minor drift occurs. The project replicates real-world geography using satellite imagery.
Parts used in the 3D Printed Earth Clock:
- Arduino Nano
- Stepper motor
- 3D printed model of the Earth
- Black shroud
- Three-stage planetary gear reduction
- Date wheel
Plenty of clocks around us are useful for telling us the precise hour, minute, and second of the day. However, few can give us an intuitive sense of how far away we are from the enveloping cloak of night. This 3D printed Earth clock built by [Simon Rob] promises to do just that.
The build consists of an Arduino Nano driving a stepper motor, which turns a 3D printed model of the Earth through 360 degrees each day. The Earth is rotated within a black shroud such that the current portion of the Earth seeing sunlight is the visible section on the clock, while the rest is hidden from view. There’s a three-stage planetary gear reduction which turns a date wheel connected to the black shroud so that the clock remains accurate throughout the year. The gear ratio isn’t perfect — [Simon] calculates its drift to be 20 hours over a year -but it’s close enough for the clock’s given purpose of being a cool thing.
The clock looks great, and a lot of that is down to [Simon]’s careful work painting the Earth to match the real thing based on Google’s satellite maps. Incidentally it’s not the first Earth clock we’ve seen, either. We might just have to get building one for our own coffee table at home. Video after the break.
Source: 3D PRINTED EARTH CLOCK IS CUTE REPLICA OF OUR DELICATE PLANET
- How does the clock simulate day and night?
The Earth is rotated within a black shroud so that only the portion seeing sunlight is visible while the rest is hidden. - What component drives the rotation of the Earth?
An Arduino Nano drives a stepper motor to turn the 3D printed Earth through 360 degrees each day. - How does the clock maintain accuracy throughout the year?
A three-stage planetary gear reduction turns a date wheel connected to the black shroud to keep the clock accurate. - Does the clock remain perfectly accurate all year round?
No, the gear ratio is not perfect and the build calculates a drift of 20 hours over a year. - How was the appearance of the Earth created?
Satellite maps from Google were used as a reference to carefully paint the 3D printed Earth to match reality. - Can this project be built for home use?
Yes, the article suggests getting one for a coffee table at home since it is a cool thing to have.
