We often think of synesthetes as those people who associate say, colors with numbers. But the phenomenon can occur with any of the senses. Simply put, when one sense is activated, synesthesia causes one to experience an unrelated, activated sense. Sounds trippy, no?
Thankfully, [Markus Opitz]’s synesthetic clock doesn’t require one to have synesthesia. It’s actually quite easy to read, we think. Can you tell what time it is in the image above? The only real requirement seems to be knowing the AM color from the PM color. The minute display cycles through blue, green, yellow, and red as the hour progresses.
Behind that pair of GC9a01 round displays lies an ESP32 and a real-time clock module. [Markus] couldn’t find a fillArc function, so instead he is drawing triangles whose ends lie outside the visible area. To calculate the size of the triangle, [Markus] is using the angle function tangent, so each minute has an angle of 6°.
[Markus] created a simple but attractive oak housing for the clock, but suggests anything from cardboard and plastic to a book. What’s the most interesting thing you’ve ever used for an enclosure? Let us know in the comments.
Do you appreciate a good analog clock when you see one? Here’s a clock that uses analog meters for its display.
I’m around 80% convinced that the grand majority of people self-reporting synesthesia are making it up
I think there’s some substance to at least some of their claims. That substance being lysergic acid diethylamide. Or shrooms… Anyway, neat clock. I always like esoteric means of displaying the time.
I certainly relate colours and numbers, but it’s because of a kiddies book my parents gave me when I was about 3 years old. You know, with a big blue Mr. 2, on the page before the green Mrs. 3. Mr. One was red and Mr. 4 was yellow, and the numbers after that are a bit blurry in my memory. I’m sure young readers of that book had an edge in comprehending numbers, but that book is also the sole cause of the severe medical problems reported elsewhere on this page.
And this is perhaps where some improvements can be made for the next edition of that book.
Suggestion:
Black 0
Brown 1
Red 2
Orange 3
Yellow 4
Green 5
Blue 6
Violet 7
Grey 8
White 9
Well I wouldn’t resist that idea..
Ohmygod, I would second that!
I took piano lessons for a year that included a chord-coloring system. I still think of V chords as being red and vi as purple.
It was a fun system, and mixed color theory with music theory.
But it was learned. Is synaesthesia necessarily innate?
I definitely see abstract concepts in a 3D visual space in my mind. Some people call it synesthesia but I don’t know what it really is. It’s difficult to explain. It’s like seeing the current year as a blurred colourful field in front of you when you think of a date and that way I’m associating colours with different concepts. If that makes any sense at all lol
I’m sure 80% who say so are just jealous.
Definitely! That, and also 92.3% of percentage numbers are made up on the spot!
I like exploring different ways of showing data, well done.
I’ve used Glide dental floss containers to hold potentiometers
I flossed with a 10K linear once
I can not read “analog” (dial) clocks. So I have no idea whether this clock reads 6:44 or 7:44 or.maybe 9:34
I’m a bit boring in terms of housings, I used metal cigarboxes and a plastic soapbar travel box and carboard from softdrink packaging that I folded into a box (as a supposed temporary housing that ended up rather not so temporary ) and plastic boxes for freezers and boxes made of metal from tin cans that I folded into a shape, and boxes made from thicker aluminium cans (not the drinks kind).