A microcontroller, a computer, a single RGB LED and a handfull of supporting components is all that is required to make this very interesting LED Fan Clock!
“While I haven’t found an use for a led-fan yet, the thinking process did give me another idea: It’s possible to create a steady image of a fan using a stroboscope, which is nothing more than a device to create precisely-timed flashes of light. By adjusting the timing, one can make the image move clockwise and counterclockwise and in such a way adjust the angle it is in. Now, what would happen if we glue a paper needle to the fan? You could then in theory with some logic, put that needle in any angle you’d wish.
Thinking in that direction, I soon got the idea of creating a clock in such a way: make a red, a green and a blue ‘hand’ and by lighting up the three dies of an RGB-led, you can control exactly at what angle the image of every hand shows up. Apart from the hands, the fan itself doesn’t need to be modified: the led, in conjunction with a microcontroller, does all the work.”
Thanks Sprites Mods
October 27th, 2007
Nice. I would have never thought of using a fan. How does he have the sensor set up?
October 27th, 2007
Interesting idea, I just don’t see the purpose. If you could refine this more and make it more visible it would be cooler.
October 27th, 2007
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October 28th, 2007
Nice idea but you can hardly see it, with some improvement it could be a cool clock.
October 28th, 2007
Yeah very nice idea. I wanna build one now.
October 30th, 2007
I don’t think they have a sensor up. Not really necessary if the fan’s rotation speed is stable enough.
Or, of course you can use the fan’s built-in detector; I’m not sure those big ones have one, though. (Look for a third, yellow wire.)