Trophy Ball Clock Using Servo

Clock comes in all shapes. But i want to do some thing new sphere shape clock, where minute dial hand is lower half of the sphere and hours hand is upper half of the sphere. First of all think to convert the normal clock. But while minutes move hours also move so the hours some time confuse. So i plan to use Servo motors to create the clock.

Simply sphere is not a attractive one. So i think about where to fit this sphere. So the final selection is the Trophy. Yes i plan to design it for FIFA trophy where the earth in the top is my sphere clock but its very difficult to complete the FIFA trophy so i change it to normal trophy.

For building trophy I use Waste plastics from trash and fix it using fevicol (glue). Not only for fixing for painting also I use Fevicol So the finishing is shinning.

At the Start of the project no idea for list of items use suitable items i got in my scrap box.

Materials Required

For Clock

1. Micro servo motor - 2 Nos
2. Arduino uno
3. RTC module for Arduino.
4. HC-05 Blue tooth module for arduino.
5. Addressable RGB LED Strip.
6. Power Supply module.
7. Plastic Ball(I use 8cm dia ball)
8. 12V DC Power supply.
9. Plain PCB.
10. Male and Female headers.
11. Wires.

For Trophy (Maximum from trash)

1. Wooden box for Trophy stand (Electronics box)
2. 3/4" Wiring PVC pipe.
3. 1" Water PVC pipe.
4. 1 litre bisleri water Empty bottle (2Nos).
5. Waste cloth.
6. Fevicol Glue
7. Water color

Tools Used

1. Hand Drilling Machine.
2. Soldering iron.
3. Hot glue gun.

Shield Building is the first step i start in every project.

1) Insert the male headers in arduino uno and place a Plain PCB over it and solder the legs in plain PCB.

2) For two servo motor connection take the pin from D5 and D6.

3) For RTC we use A4 and A5 of the analog side and +5V and GRN.

4) For bluetooth use D2,D3 pins for TX and RX. and 5V and GRN

5) For Addressable LED strip use D12 of the Arduino.

6) For RTC and Bluetooth solder female header on the Plain PCB.

7) 12V to 12V, 5V and 3.3V powder supply for Servo and LED strip.

1) As per the plan the lower part of the sphere is minute hand and upper part of the sphere is hour hand.

2) So the top servo directly fit to the ball.

3) Bottom servo hold the bottom sphere using a Quarter circle.

4) All this setup hold by a center pipe hold the bottom servo and Top servo.

5) Both the servo rotor center and Holding pipe center must be in straight line. Then only ball rotate correctly.

1) Found a thick rod in the scrap. So increase the hold size for screw in the servo and fix the rod tightly with the distance between the servo is able to fit the semicircle part in between the servos.

2) Use hot glue gun to stick it tight.

3) Take a feet length of 3/4" pvc wiring pipe and take a slot in one side of the pipe as shown in the figure to hold the servo.

4) Both the Servo rotating center point and the 3/4" pvc center point must be equal.

5) Bring both the servo wires through the pvc pipe to the out for connection.

1) I found a Chocos Ball of my daughter. I use the lid for Hour hand and ball for minute hand.

2) Hour hand is very simple by put a small hole in the top using drilling machine and screw a hand below and fix it with the servo.

3) For minute hand Put a big hole in the center of the ball size more than the PVC pipe size.

4) Now calculate the dia from the servo to the ball.

5) Cut a Quarter circle in a plastic plate (I use plain PCB) and stick the arc side to the ball side using hot glue gun on both sides. (For hot glue no space found so i cut a Quater in the ball and keep it side for stick it back after work completed).

6) Now insert the ball through the pipe and screw the center of the Quarter circle plastic (printed circuit board) to the bottom servo as show in the figure.

See the video of testing.

Put the portion cut from the ball in that place and stick it using quick fix( I use soldering iron to fix it). Now its look like lalipop.

1) To keep the trophy stand straight and put the all the arduino and modules i need a box.

2) With Arduino and modules its total length is 14cm. My box is 16CM X 11 CM inner size. Its a wiring box.

3) Find the center of the box. The sphere must be fix and remove. So i plan to stick a 3/4" PVC Couling in the center of the box.

4) Put a hole in the center of the box and expand it up to the size of the coupling. Hot glue the coupling in the center of the box and after cool,

1) Simple thing is buy a model trophy and cut the top and fix the ball through it.

2) But i make my own trophy i plan to build a FIFA trophy but due to that type of items not found in my trash, I build a normal trophy.

3) I use two bisleri water bottles one for base another one for body.

4) Before that for don't disturb the clock arrangement use a 1" Pipe. Hot glue the pipe 1 cm less than the length of the 3/4" pipe which hold the clock in the stand.

5) Cut one Bisleri bottle top portion and hot glue it as shown in the figure. During hot glue bisleri bottle make it cool quickly or put less heat otherwise bottle melt.

6) Cut the lid portion of the second bottle and cut it uo to the remaining height of the 1" pipe. and cut the base and put the hole in the center.

7) Hot glue all it together and make zig-zag cutting on the top and it look like flame.

8) Now the basic step is completed we want to decorate it now and convert to golden trophy.

1) Use white cloth of paper cover the full base using gum(Fevicol).

2) Apply 2 to 3 layers of fevicol over the cloth and it look shinning.

3) This work take long time and patience.

4) Allow it to dry for long time. I leave it for one night.

1) I Use golden fabric color to color the trophy.

2) I mix the golden fabric color with fevicol and water and apply 3 coatings over the trophy.

3) After apply it not show shinny and look like skin color.

4) After dry its very shiny and look like gold bar.

1) Upload a test program to mark the minute and hour in the ball.

2) In arduino serial monitor while press enter the minute add to 5 and move.

3)In each move make a mark with sketch.

4) After complete for all hours and minutes. Test it again for 2 to 3 times.

5) Once fully satified. Make the lines and marks using permanent CD marker

1) In the Arduino program use RTC and Wire library to retrive date time from clock.

2) To control servo use Servo library.

3) To make more effect i add a Addressable RGB strip. For control the RGB led strip i use PololuLedStrip Library.

4) SoftwareSerial is used to connect the blue tooth.

5) EEPROM library is used to store the last color selected for RGB strip.

1) The Main purpose to develop the android program is to change the time if it wrong.

2) Use Bluetooth to connect to android app and send data's.

3) By use the app we also change the color of the RGB led strip.

4) I Use MIT App inventor to develop the program.

5) For complete guide for the app development see my previous project RGB Infinity clock with owen BT app. Same procedure is follow here.

6) The apk also upload in this page.

1) Now fix the clock in to the trophy and take both the servo wire below.

2) In the box fix the controller and power supply.

3) Connect the Servos to the shield.

4) Close the box and screw.

1) I already make a Infinity light using the Addressable LED strip Use the same set up as the base of this tropy.

2) That light is only for decoration.

Just connect the supply and keep it in your desk. Its look fantastic

By change the color in the mobile app. After a long time this project with take very long and lot of nights. But at each time i found some error i feel god is with me to correct it.

Go through the work. If you make it and Vote for it i feel very happy.
I am very very happy to learn and make new things. Let share yours then Happiness multiply. Thanks for watching.