There are a variety of means by which numbers can be displayed from an electronic circuit, and probably the most ubiquitous remains the seven-segment display. Take seven LEDs, lamps, LCDs, VFD segments or mechanical flip-dot style units in the familiar rectangular figure eight, and your microcontroller or similar can display numbers. There are a variety of different interfaces, but at most all that is needed is a level shifter and a driver.
Sometimes though we encounter a completely novel 7-segment display, and such is the case with [Fhuable]’s all mechanical single digit display. It bears a superficial resemblance to a flipdot display, but instead of a magnetic actuator, it instead uses a complex system of gears and cams to flip the segments sequentially from the turning of a small crank. It appears to be the same mechanism he’s used in his subscription counter project whose video we’ve placed below the break, and it is truly a thing of beauty. We’re not entirely certain how useful it would be as a general-purpose display in its current form, however, we can see it being adapted with relative ease. A clock might, for example, be an eye-catching project.
Most displays that make it here have some electrical components, so it’s unusual to see an entirely mechanical one. But that’s not necessarily always the case.
Thanks [Mike Horne] for the tip.
It’s awesome! Congratulation.
Impressive! Way more slicker than my submission from seven years go.
https://hackaday.com/2012/04/15/a-glorious-mechanical-seven-segment-display/
“Slickerer!” 🤪
That was pretty awesome though too man, guys that make stuff like these and share the files are mensch to me
Wow, I’ve got to build me some of these… But where’s the info on the mod for driving it with a stepper motor instead of a crank? 🤔
https://sites.google.com/site/fpgaandco/7-segments
Good deal, thanks. 👍
Awesome. Build.
How about an all optical digital clock, without any electronics or moving parts? https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1068443
Ehh, The Earth is moving? isn’t it? :-)
Fantastic project. Nice video too.
I could not agree more, indeed very nicely done.
Scary well done and good looking! I2C chaining the units? I love the surprise end.
Awesome video and even more awesome build!
Really something different build in this digital era. The quality of 3d parts are also neat and clean.
Neat, but I am not sure of the advantages over a magnetically latched flip segment display.
My totally hand driven large 7 segment display has been in regular weekly use, and out in the weather for over a year now with no issues. It works in the heat of the summer and the sub zero of the winter. I think the beauty is in the simplicity. There is almost nothing to go wrong. https://hackaday.io/project/161215-largemechanical-hand-activated-7-segment-display
Completely novel. Just like this one:
https://hackaday.com/2019/01/26/7-segment-display-is-3d-printed-and-hand-cranked/
They are all novel man, they are all completely different mechanisms that achieve the end display in a new way.
That’s what I thought of too. Peter’s version seems to be more compact but doesn’t include any motors in his project.
I’m curious about friction in both designs because I think it would be interesting to see a mechanical 7 segment based clock using a mechanical movement.
I like the idea of a pendulum clock with a 7 segment readout because of the juxtaposition of the whole thing.
But could a mechanical movement be able to drive a chain of these mechanical displays?
This is something I must make. I may use the files and create a metal version on cnc. its worth the effort.
This supemely wonderous.
For those interested, a watch was done with a more complex version of this, by the company DeGrisogono.
https://degrisogono.com/collection/meccanico-dg
That would make a nice mechanical clock.
I had a mechanical clock like this back in the 80’s. Pretty cool to watch, and after a few months, I could wake up at whatever time I wanted without setting the alarm. Each digit change made a unique sound, and my brain knew what time it was, in my sleep.
Simply Awesome!