Pinball Clock (Rolling Ball Clock)

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Core Product Information

Product Name: 3D Printed Marble Clock (Ball Clock)

Control Core: Arduino Development Board

Power System: 28BYJ-48 Stepper Motor (with Driver Board)

Display Method: Three-level ball bearing track (hour + 5 minutes + 1 minute)

Material and Process: Fully 3D printed (PLA/resin), with stainless steel balls

Power Supply: 5V USB power supply, suitable for desktop use

Design Principle: Using balls to "count" time

1. Track Division of Labor (Time Display Logic)

It uses the number of balls on a three-level seesaw track to display the complete time:

• Upper Track 1-9: 1-minute count. Automatically adds 1 ball every 1 minute, triggering a carry when 5 balls are full.
• Middle Track 1-5: 5-minute count. Adds 1 ball every 5 minutes (after the upper track is full), triggering a carry when 12 balls are full.
• Lower Track 1-12 1. Hourly Count: One steel ball is added every 60 minutes (after the middle layer is full). The count automatically resets to zero when 12 balls are counted.

Example: Top layer has 3 steel balls, middle layer has 2, bottom layer has 10 → Time is 10:13 (10 hours + 2 x 5 minutes + 3 minutes)

2. Core Mechanical Structure

Seesaw Balancing Device: The track is precisely weighted. When the number of steel balls reaches a threshold, the seesaw automatically tilts, transferring the steel balls to the next track, realizing the "carry" logic.

Steel Ball Lifting Mechanism: The left-side wheel is driven by a stepper motor, which transports the steel balls collected at the bottom back to the top track, forming a cycle.

Automatic Retrieval System: After all steel balls complete one round of counting, they slide into the bottom retrieval track, awaiting the next lift, realizing cyclical timing.

Electronic Control Solution (Arduino Core)

1. Hardware List

Control Board: Arduino Uno/Nano (as the brain, controlling the motor and timing logic)

Stepper Motor: 28BYJ-48 (with ULN2003 driver board) Drives the wheel, stably feeding steel balls

Power Supply: 5V 1A USB powered (powers the control board and motor)

Steel Balls: 8mm diameter stainless steel balls (approximately 20-30 balls) The core carrier for time display

2. Software Logic

Utilizes the AccelStepper library to control the stepper motor speed, achieving a stable feeding of 1 steel ball per minute.

Synchronizes motor movement through timing functions, ensuring complete synchronization between ball lifting and the passage of time.

Expandable Functions: Add an OLED display to synchronize digital time, set an alarm, and adjust motor speed to adapt to different steel ball sizes.

Highlights and Applications

Mechanical Aesthetics + Interactive Fun: The circular rolling of the steel ball is incredibly soothing, making it a perfect desktop stress reliever and a visually intuitive teaching tool for mechanical principles.

Full DIY Freedom: Customize the casing color, add LED strips, and modify the track design to create a unique, personalized clock.

Scene Adaptability: Suitable as a desktop decoration, creative gift, or for showcasing Arduino learning projects, combining practicality and aesthetics.