Tag Archives: clock

Enhance Your Living Space with Moss Echo’s Eco-Friendly Air Purifier

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Embrace the tranquility of nature with Moss Echo, an innovative indoor air purifier that seamlessly integrates natural moss with cutting-edge technology. Perfect for any room, this device enhances air quality while adding a touch of greenery to your home or office. Its sleek design and interactive features bring a slice of nature indoors, promoting relaxation and well-being.

Designer: Yoonsang Kim of Mosslab

Click Here to Buy Now: $179 $299 ($120 off). Hurry, only 18/500 left! Raised over $209,000.

Designed by Yoonsang Kim of Mosslab, Moss Echo was inspired by nature’s tranquility and ever-changing beauty. Amid busy lives, stepping away from the city and into the mountains, fields, and forests reveals nature’s infinite stage. From the dance of shadows and light at dawn to the vibrant colors painted by the sun and the transforming atmosphere at dusk, nature provides an endless symphony of life. The gentle chorus of cicadas, the soft rhythms of the waterside, and the footsteps of wildlife compose an infinite melody. Fireflies light up the forest even in darkness, presenting yet another mesmerizing show. This product encapsulates these experiences, transforming urban and indoor spaces into vibrant sanctuaries of relaxation.

Mosslab aims to bring this diverse spectrum of nature into our daily lives, leading to the development of Moss Echo. Encapsulating nature’s sounds, colors, and vitality transforms urban and indoor spaces into vibrant sanctuaries of relaxation. Share the experience of becoming one with nature with this innovative air purifier.

Beyond aesthetic appeal, Moss Echo significantly improves indoor air quality by absorbing pollutants such as carbon dioxide and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Having undergone rigorous laboratory testing for Air Purifier Effectiveness Certification for CO₂ and VOC levels, Moss Echo has proven its capability to effectively remove harmful pollutants, ensuring a healthier living environment. Whether in a busy city or serene countryside, this device ensures you breathe cleaner air. The soothing presence of natural moss reduces stress and promotes a calm environment, making it ideal for bedrooms, living rooms, kitchens, and workspaces.

The design of Moss Echo is both functional and stylish, seamlessly blending natural aesthetics with modern technology. Central to its appeal, the living moss purifies the air and adds vibrant greenery, forming a lush, green canvas that contrasts beautifully with the sleek, minimalist frame. Available in sophisticated black or clean white, the device’s frame can be further personalized with interchangeable materials like wood and metal, allowing it to complement a range of interior decors. Its compact form ensures it fits well on desktops, shelves, or any small space without being obtrusive, making it a versatile addition to any room.

Advanced Light Pole Technology supports moss growth by providing optimal lighting and allows for dynamic visual displays on the moss surface. With an integrated infrared sensor, the intelligent spray technology detects hydration, triggering visual and sound responses that enhance the user experience. This feature adds a dynamic and interactive element to the device, making it more than just an air purifier. The interactive display features customizable options, such as nature scenes and a clock, all managed through an intuitive app interface. The attached image also highlights the sleek, modern design, emphasizing its ability to blend seamlessly into various interior settings while serving as a functional decor piece. This balanced lighting and interactive technology ensure the moss remains healthy and vibrant, making Moss Echo a captivating and practical addition to any space.

User-friendly features include a control panel located at the back, designed for ease of use with a rotary knob for switching displays and a one-touch button for power and sleep mode. Clear LED indicators provide feedback on the device’s status, including power, Wi-Fi connection, and watering needs, ensuring users can easily maintain the moss. The electronic components are protected by a moss filter and essential waterproofing, allowing safe interaction with water sprays without damaging the device. The design includes a replaceable moss filter, ensuring longevity and ease of maintenance.

Imagine transforming your home into a sanctuary of natural rejuvenation, where the calming presence of nature heals and revitalizes. Powered by a robust 120 MHz Qualcomm Kalimba DSP, Moss Echo provides crystal-clear audio for music or nature sounds, enhancing your environment with immersive sound quality. Embrace the refreshing benefits of moss in every indoor space. Enjoy cleaner air, a serene atmosphere, and a deeper connection with nature.

Click Here to Buy Now: $179 $299 ($120 off). Hurry, only 18/500 left! Raised over $209,000.

The post Enhance Your Living Space with Moss Echo’s Eco-Friendly Air Purifier first appeared on Yanko Design.

Experience Pure Sound and Fresh Air with the Moss Echo: The Ultimate Air-Purifying Wireless Speaker

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Nature and tech are almost always at odds. Technology is fast-moving, often focused on productivity/entertainment and nothing else. Nature, on the other hand, is a more immovable force that nourishes you and teaches you patience. It isn’t common to see the both of them intertwined together seamlessly, but the folks at MOSSLAB seem to have figured out the impossible. Designed to be a smart display, a speaker, an alarm clock, an air purifier, and also a living plant, the Moss Echo intertwines both shrubbery and silicon into one unique solution. The tabletop device is characterized by a wall of moss – the plant responsible for 30% of all the oxygen we breathe – but power it on and an LED screen comes to life right through the moss facade. This acts as the Moss Echo’s display interface, while the device itself works as an alarm, wireless speaker, and an air purifier that relies on real living greenery to cleanse the air you breathe and help relieve stress.

Designer: Yoonsang Kim of Mosslab

Click Here to Buy Now: $199 $299 ($100 off). Hurry, only 263/400 left! Raised over $158,000.

Moss Echo goes beyond the typical utilitarian smart device. Yes, it displays the time, functions as an alarm clock, and lets you play music or podcasts via Bluetooth. But the real star of the show is the moss itself. Nestled within a replaceable filter, this actual living plant isn’t just decorative; it serves as a natural air purifier. The moss’s tiny structures efficiently absorb pollutants, releasing clean air back into your environment, while filling your room with the natural scent of flora that is known to be an instant stress-buster.

Perfect for having by your bedside, living room, or even on your work-table, the Moss Echo helps keep you calm. While the wall of moss itself looks delightful, it works in tandem with the built-in wireless speaker to calm and recharge you. Moss Echo’s companion app lets you play soothing nature sounds while the display accompanies it with visuals to match. You can even choose between different visualizations for the speaker, or set a sleep mode that cues the device to gradually lower its audio before turning off within half an hour.

Moss is considered to be the world’s oldest plant, and by that logic, can be said to be responsible for all natural life because of its first ability to synthesize oxygen from carbon dioxide. Even though it’s so small, it’s arguably much more effective than plants thousands of times larger than itself. Just two hours of exposing indoor air to moss can reduce fine dust by 90%, VOCs (volatile organic compounds) by 60%, and CO2 by 40%.

The living moss and LEDs coexist together in mutually beneficial ways. The LEDs use a proprietary light pole technology that actually boosts the moss’ photosynthesis capabilities by 20%, allowing it to clean air more efficiently, while the moss adds a touch of greenery to the otherwise industrial-looking LED panel, creating an illusion of the plants actually lighting up to display the time or respond to music and other cues.

The magic is evident when you water the moss by spraying it with mist with the smart sprayer that comes along with the Echo. Moss Echo’s LED screen reacts to the user every time water is sprayed and shows various interactive graphics. The moss itself comes to life too in no time too, opening up and spreading its distinct plant-like smell in the air. The screen can additionally be personalized to display other things too, when sitting dormant. You can choose to have something as utilitarian as a clock, or opt for calming elements like clouds or a sunrise/sunset or even dandelions. If you have a child around the house, the Moss Echo’s screen can even display a cute avatar cartoon that looks around with animated eyes.

The Moss Echo’s design also strikes that beautiful balance, with the wall of moss on the front interspersed with the LED matrix, encased within a sleek box-shaped design that comes in either black or white. Buttons on the top, along with an elegant linear knob let you access the Moss Echo’s features and control playback. LEDs also give you status indications, like WiFi and Bluetooth connection, or even when the moss needs watering Under the dynamic green matrix lies a powerful set of audio drivers that draw their thump from a 120 Mhz Qualcomm® Kalimba™ DSP, providing a high-performance 24-bit mono audio interface.

The Moss Echo comes from the folks at MOSSLAB, who designed the mini vertical forest Moss Air last year that used the power of moss to clean and humidify your air. The Echo is the company’s next logical step, bringing nature to the omnipresent wireless speaker in a way that goes well beyond just listening to music or having one or two potted plants.

Each Moss Echo comes with a USB-C cable to power it, and a smart spray bottle that tells the Echo’s display to react when it’s spritzed with water (your regular plant could never!) To ensure that the Moss Echo can withstand the water, the light poles or LEDs are built to be waterproof, and to keep your moss alive, it’s recommended you mist it 2-3 times every day. However, it’s an incredibly resilient species too, capable of enduring up to 6 months without moisture. Once watered, it quickly springs back to life, resuming photosynthesis to sustain its vitality. The Moss Echo starts at $179 for a single unit and ships globally.

Click Here to Buy Now: $199 $299 ($100 off). Hurry, only 263/400 left! Raised over $158,000.

The post Experience Pure Sound and Fresh Air with the Moss Echo: The Ultimate Air-Purifying Wireless Speaker first appeared on Yanko Design.

Hive-like LED wall clock offers a colorful and dynamic way to tell the time

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Clock designs come in all shapes, sizes, and levels of complexity. On one end, you have ultra-minimalist analog clocks that barely have discernible hands or numbers on their faces. On the opposite end, however, you have not only sophisticated mechanical clocks with all their gears and movements, you also have digital clocks with smart features that go beyond telling the time. Of course, it’s always a matter of balancing functionality and features, and some designs intentionally tip the scales toward one or the other depending on their target audience. This DIY wall clock, for example, caters to those who want a more vibrant and creative way to display the time, though it does require a bit of technical and electronics know-how to make.

Designer: Dawid Karoński

It’s really impressive how far DIY tools have come these days, from desktop 3D printers to small circuit boards that can run complicated programs to control nontrivial devices. And depending on the skills of the one making them, the end result could even look like a professionally made product that came from a factory rather than someone’s garage or home workshop. The Hexaclock, named for its unusual shape for a clock, is one such example, offering a wall clock and smart lamp that can rival the quality and features of well-known smart lighting brands.

The catch is that you have to make one yourself, which may or may not result in a product of equal quality. You’ll need a 3D printer, unsurprisingly, but that is actually the easier part of the process. The more tedious phase requires precisely cutting an LED light strip into specific sizes so that the LEDs actually line up with the hexagon-shaped compartments of the lamp. Even more laborious is connecting these segments together again into a single unit, at least electronically, so that you can control the strip with a program as if it was never cut at all.

All of these details, from the schematics to the software, are made available for free so that anyone with the right tools and knowledge can make their own hive-shaped wall clock. In terms of functionality, the clock offers plenty of customization options, from animated color transitions to dancing patterns. What’s even more impressive is that it supports a light sensor that can dim all LEDs except the ones displaying the clock itself so that the bright lights won’t disturb your sleep at night.

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This sleek lunar wall clock adds some adventure to the ultimate space lover’s home

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How many times do we look at a clock each day, whether it’s on a wall or on our wrists? Chances are, you don’t let an hour pass without looking at a watch or clock to check the time, even if it’s an ironic waste of time to do so again and again. Given that frequency, it’s essential for clock designs to not only be functional but also visually appealing, evoking a sense of calm and awe to offset the usual stress one carries when fretting over the time. Even better, clocks might even become sources of inspiration, providing not nagging reminders but gentle hints at how to live our lives to the fullest, not shackled by the tyranny of time. That’s the subtle message that this beautiful minimalist lunar-themed clock tries to convey, reminding the observer of man’s aspirations to break free of Earth’s gravity and reach for the moon and beyond.

Designer: Sora no Kakera

Click Here to Buy Now: $275 $325 (15% off at checkout & Free Shipping). Hurry, Earth Day sales end in 48 hours!

The moon has always been a thing of beauty and mystery, its pockmarked face bearing witness to the history of our celestial neighborhood as it gracefully illuminates the night sky. It is also the nearest heavenly object we can reach, and unsurprisingly, the object of many space travel achievements and fantasies. It seems only fitting that it would be the inspiration for a clock that invites you to make a trip to the moon, even if only in your head, at each moment you check the time.

Made from stainless steel finished with a mirror-like polish, this Moon Trip Clock displays the seemingly magical visage of the moon, half bathed in light and the other in darkness. Although the image of the moon is accurate, it isn’t aiming for a scientific illustration that clearly lays out the topography of the moon. Instead, it is trying to bring the otherworldly charm of the moon to your wall and your living space.

The numbers that line the edges of the metal disc look as if they’re floating rather than etched or glued to the surface. At some point, they even seem to disappear, only to reappear again at another location, mimicking the eternal waning and waxing of the moon. This visual effect is possible thanks to a special polishing technique, adding an air of mystery to the already enchanting lunar design.

And when you start to really look at the time, you will be greeted by a charming yet meaningful detail that tickles the mind into a more thoughtful state. While the hour and minute hands are simple yet elegant bars, the seconds hand has the shape of a rocket ship at its tip. You’re tempted to watch this spacecraft make its way around the clock at each tick, perhaps making you reminisce of old childhood dreams of conquering the moon and beyond like an adventurous explorer. That may just be a fantasy, but this lovely Lunar Voyage Clock reminds you not to let opportunities pass and to live your life to the fullest, shooting for the stars and making your dreams come true.

Click Here to Buy Now: $275 $325 (15% off at checkout & Free Shipping). Hurry, Earth Day sales end in 48 hours!

The post This sleek lunar wall clock adds some adventure to the ultimate space lover’s home first appeared on Yanko Design.

This sleek lunar wall clock adds some adventure to the ultimate space lover’s home

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How many times do we look at a clock each day, whether it’s on a wall or on our wrists? Chances are, you don’t let an hour pass without looking at a watch or clock to check the time, even if it’s an ironic waste of time to do so again and again. Given that frequency, it’s essential for clock designs to not only be functional but also visually appealing, evoking a sense of calm and awe to offset the usual stress one carries when fretting over the time. Even better, clocks might even become sources of inspiration, providing not nagging reminders but gentle hints at how to live our lives to the fullest, not shackled by the tyranny of time. That’s the subtle message that this beautiful minimalist lunar-themed clock tries to convey, reminding the observer of man’s aspirations to break free of Earth’s gravity and reach for the moon and beyond.

Designer: Sora no Kakera

Click Here to Buy Now: $275 $325 (15% off at checkout & Free Shipping). Hurry, Earth Day sales end in 48 hours!

The moon has always been a thing of beauty and mystery, its pockmarked face bearing witness to the history of our celestial neighborhood as it gracefully illuminates the night sky. It is also the nearest heavenly object we can reach, and unsurprisingly, the object of many space travel achievements and fantasies. It seems only fitting that it would be the inspiration for a clock that invites you to make a trip to the moon, even if only in your head, at each moment you check the time.

Made from stainless steel finished with a mirror-like polish, this Moon Trip Clock displays the seemingly magical visage of the moon, half bathed in light and the other in darkness. Although the image of the moon is accurate, it isn’t aiming for a scientific illustration that clearly lays out the topography of the moon. Instead, it is trying to bring the otherworldly charm of the moon to your wall and your living space.

The numbers that line the edges of the metal disc look as if they’re floating rather than etched or glued to the surface. At some point, they even seem to disappear, only to reappear again at another location, mimicking the eternal waning and waxing of the moon. This visual effect is possible thanks to a special polishing technique, adding an air of mystery to the already enchanting lunar design.

And when you start to really look at the time, you will be greeted by a charming yet meaningful detail that tickles the mind into a more thoughtful state. While the hour and minute hands are simple yet elegant bars, the seconds hand has the shape of a rocket ship at its tip. You’re tempted to watch this spacecraft make its way around the clock at each tick, perhaps making you reminisce of old childhood dreams of conquering the moon and beyond like an adventurous explorer. That may just be a fantasy, but this lovely Lunar Voyage Clock reminds you not to let opportunities pass and to live your life to the fullest, shooting for the stars and making your dreams come true.

Click Here to Buy Now: $275 $325 (15% off at checkout & Free Shipping). Hurry, Earth Day sales end in 48 hours!

The post This sleek lunar wall clock adds some adventure to the ultimate space lover’s home first appeared on Yanko Design.

Solar-powered sundial wall clock concept offers a unique way to tell the time

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Today’s clocks and watches seem to be split between mechanical analog and electronic digital designs, but there are more than two ways to tell the time. Of course, some of these methods are regarded to be inaccurate, error-prone, and at the mercy of the elements, but there’s a certain charm and magical feeling to the way our ancient ancestors tried to discern the time of day. The sundial is one of the oldest time-keeping tools, one that works on the presumption that the sun travels the same path every day of the year, which isn’t exactly the case. Still, it’s not an entirely incorrect method and it can easily be fixed with modern technology, like this sustainable wall clock concept that is powered by the sun in more ways than one.

Designer: Begüm Kılınç

A sundial works by simply observing the shadow that a stick or a tall thin object casts on a flat surface, a shadow that moves around and grows or shrinks as the sun makes its way through the sky. The sun doesn’t travel the exact same path all year round, however, and this method definitely doesn’t work at night. Modern technology, however, has a way to shine a light 24/7, and this wall clock uses that to recreate the almost mystical appearance of a sundial while utilizing energy from the very sun that inspired it.

Name after the Egyptian god of the sun, the Ra wall clock utilizes an LED ring light to simulate the sun. But rather than shining from all directions, the light is focused on a single point to recreate the effect of a short stick casting a very long shadow. As time moves, so does the light move around the periphery of the circle, thus mimicking a sundial but with more consistency and accuracy. Plus, it works at night as it does during the day.

While this would have been enough to create a modern sundial clock, the concept takes the association even further by also following how the sundial of old needed only the sun to function. Rather than relying on batteries, Ra uses solar power to make sure the clock is running 24/7 without the need to charge it or change batteries. The transparent solar panel that makes up the wall clock’s front cover actually harnesses any light around it, so the clock doesn’t need to actually be exposed to the sun and can be used indoors or under low-light environments.

This design helps give the sundial wall clock a sustainable potential, even if it does minimally use some electronics as well as LED lighting. Unlike analog clocks, there are now complex mechanisms that are difficult to repair, and unlike digital clocks, there are no screens or displays to show the time. It uses a very simple method that traces its roots back to ancient times, but one that still has benefits to the people of today.

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Desk accessories concepts help reduce risk of sitting at the desk the whole day

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As someone who spends almost the entire working day (and sometimes beyond) at a desk and in front of the computer, you can say that I face a lot of issues when it comes to my posture, my eyesight, and my muscles. I’ve tried several ergonomic products and also exercises to help me take a break from my regular work and literal position but I’m still having some regular problems from being a desk potato. I know that there are a lot of risks that will eventually (and some have already) make an appearance in my health journey so products that can help alleviate the strain on my body are always welcome.

Designers: Haneul Kang, Dohui Kim, Dagyeong Kim, Jeongyoon Kim, Yunseo Jung

A group of designers have come up with concepts for a series of products that can help with this problem. The collection is appropriately called DESKRISK as we all know that even if we are sitting seemingly safely at our desks, we’re still exhibiting risky behavior that will eventually need some sort of intervention. The first product is a desk clock that will remind us to take a break from staring at our screens to take better care of our eyes. The screen will blur after some time which resembles the dry eyes we experience a lot of times. After you’ve rested for a few minutes, you can move the button on the clock sideways to wipe away the blur and start the countdown all over again.

The next product is for those who need help with their posture while sitting at the desk for a long time. Well this is for if you’re using a lamp light source at your desk. The lamp has a light that will gradually move downwards from the angle you set after an hour. This way you are reminded to move along with the light source so that we’re not just bowing down towards our screens. There’s a gauge next to the lamp that also helps you track how much time has elapsed. You can also adjust and reset the angle by moving this gauge bar.

The last one may probably be the most useless for me, at least from what I understand from their product description. It’s a magazine rack that will supposedly resemble carpel tunnel syndrome or at least the overstretched wrist ligaments that come from having the same position at your keyboard for a long period of time. The sagging fabric will lengthen according to the size or weight of the books or magazines inserted. How this will help me with my wrist problem is unsure at this point. But aside from that, the other Deskrisk products are pretty useful for people like me who are at risk with the nature of our work.

The post Desk accessories concepts help reduce risk of sitting at the desk the whole day first appeared on Yanko Design.

Ultra-minimalist digital clock is actually a pill dispenser in disguise

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Sooner or later, we will all need to take some pills regularly, whether it’s for medication or even just daily supplements. But unless you live a very disciplined life or have a sharp mind all the time, there will be times that you miss taking the proper dosage at the right time. Pillboxes try to save us time by splitting pills and tablets into their appropriate days, while smartphone apps give us the timely nudges to take them. The distance between these two objects, however, can lead some people to actually forget to drink those pills, especially if they’re stored in a less accessible place to avoid exposure to sunlight. Smart pill dispensers are becoming more common these days, but this twist on that concept proposes a design that is simpler, more aesthetic, and possibly more accessible since it lets you conveniently place the clock exactly where you need to take those pills.

Designer: Chanho Ju

Yes, the design looks like a huge clock, albeit an extremely minimalist one that doesn’t show the conventional numbers around its face. That face is actually an LCD screen that only displays the clock hands as glowing lines, along with the actual number they’re pointing at for a bit of readability. The display does change its contents when it’s time to take those pills, showing the current alarm time and other necessary information.

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While it might sound a little underwhelming when it comes to constantly telling the time, its real worth shines when it comes to dispensing medicine. Simply twist the front to detach the clock, revealing 28 compartments for 28 days’ worth of medication. There are four buttons that let you set how many tablets you take per day, anywhere from one to four pieces. There’s also a special compartment for silica gel to make sure the interior of the clock remains dry and prevent pills from spoiling in humidity.

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Combining a clock and a pill dispenser isn’t just some random design decision. Unlike a typical pill box, you can place this +CLOCK concept design anywhere it makes sense, whether it’s near the table, a kitchen counter, or a shelf. Its minimalist aesthetic makes it double as a decorative piece so it won’t exactly stick out like a sore thumb, especially since it also minimally tells the time anyway.

More importantly, however, when it does call your attention, you will be in the right place and at the right time to actually receive the pills that drop from the dispenser. There’s no physical gap between the two actions, so you’re less likely to forget to actually take the pills after you’ve automatically turned off the alarm by habit. It’s a simple yet elegant design that addresses the core problem of forgetting to take medication without having to use sophisticated and ultimately more expensive solutions.

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Plant-inspired desk accessories bring a sense of calm to your work life

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There are plenty of tips and pieces of advice on how to decrease stress levels at work, particularly on your desk. Keep your workspace clean and tidy, put objects and pictures that inspire, and add green plants that remind you to take breaks and live. The latter, however, isn’t always possible in all environments, and some might not be too keen on the added responsibility of keeping that plant alive, even if it’s a succulent. That’s not to say you have to give up the benefits of having some green on your desk, especially not with this collection of accessory concept designs that try to bring life to your work by taking inspiration from Nature’s miracle workers.

Designers: Gahnghyun Yi, Jiwon Lee, Chaeyeon Ha

Plants have long been a source of inspiration for creators of all disciplines, including scientists, engineers, architects, and, of course, designers. The natural beauty these silent creatures possess is surprisingly not that easy to recreate, but we can easily distill the essence of their forms and translate them into designs that hold meaning in our lives. These desk accessories, for example, try to nudge your mind to think about real greenery, eliciting the same emotions of peacefulness, calm, and relaxation that a plant would bring if it were actually standing on your desk.

It’s not a literal imitation, of course; just an interpretation of the basic forms and shapes that plants possess. The Greenery Pencil Holder, for example, is a cylinder with a curved plate partially wrapped around it at an angle, almost like a bamboo stem with a leaf growing out of it. This “leaf” actually functions as a container as well, creating two spaces to place your pens, pencils, and other long stationery tools.

The Greenery Clock is a bit more abstract in comparison, with a stem that curves upward and a leaf that droops down from the top, forming a minimalist digital clock. There is actually a second leaf that’s less visible since it’s lying flat on the desk, creating a space to put small items on. The latter design is repeated in the Greenery Tray with two horizontal “leaves” providing the same flat container. What makes it different, other than the lack of a clock, are the elongated “stems” that act as a hook for hanging key rings and other items.

The Greenery Cable Holder is admittedly a bit of a stretch to imagine as leaves growing on a leaf vein. After all, it’s just a set of circles with cutouts for inserting a cable. One side of the circle is flat, allowing the cable holder to be stuck on desks or walls. With this set, you can add some green hues to your desk without sacrificing space, deriving both utility and aesthetic from simple designs, thanks to some inspiration from Mother Nature.

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Unique ‘Minimal Kinetic Clock’ uses moving 3D-printed parts to tell time through light and shadow

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Let’s face it, that thumbnail probably brought you here. Outwardly, the Minimal Kinetic Clock is just a flat piece of white plastic, but thanks to a few moving parts, it assumes a three-dimensional shape that tells the time. Strategically place it in an area with dramatic lighting and the time stands out through how the clock captures highlights and casts shadows.

The project comes courtesy YouTuber Lukas Deem, who meticulously builds the clock from scratch using bespoke 3D-printed parts, an Arduino Mega SoC, and a handful of motors and sensors (while graciously documenting the process for all of us to see. Lukas walks the viewers through the whole procedure, which took multiple iterations and fixes to put together, even detailing out a special stand he made for the clock once it was up and running. The final result looks gorgeous, and I can only imagine how wonderful it would look if Lukas mounted a stretchy white cloth on the front, allowing the parts to push through to create the shape of every number. If you’re reading this, Lukas… give it a shot!

Designer: Lukas Deem (originally made by Jacky Mok)

Lukas embarked on this venture with a clear goal: to build a clean, minimalistic kinetic clock that elevates the concept of timekeeping into kinetic art. The choice of materials was crucial to this endeavor. The project required two power supplies to ensure all components received adequate energy, white Hatchbox filament for its optimal quality for 3D printing, an off-brand Arduino Mega (from Elegoo), a sensor shield for the electronics, and 30 budget-friendly servos to bring the kinetic aspect to life. A real-time clock (RTC) module was also essential for maintaining accurate time.

The 3D printing process alone was a marathon, consuming approximately 85 hours, excluding the time spent on test prints and correcting mistakes. This phase underscored the meticulous attention to detail and patience required for such an intricate project.

However, the assembly phase presented its own set of challenges. Each of the 30 servos underwent rigorous testing for functionality, with a critical step involving the calibration of these components to ensure the clock’s precise movement. One significant hurdle was the project’s power supply system. The challenge of efficiently powering both the Arduino and the sensor shield without resorting to an unwieldy setup led to a compromise: using two power plugs, a solution that, while not ideal, was necessary under the constraints of time and resources.

Design refinements were also an integral part of the process. The creator focused on cable management, using zip ties to maintain a neat appearance, and developed a new base design to enhance the clock’s stability and aesthetic appeal. These improvements aimed at making the clock not just a functional piece but also a polished work of art worthy of display.

That being said, there was definitely room for improvement. Lukas pointed out that the servo motors in the clock weren’t particularly quiet, which meant this clock was a LOT noisier than your traditional ticking clock. However, it would do rather well in an open space like a living room, as opposed to being by your bedside or study table. Assembling the clock using hot glue also seemed to be a rather poor idea, given how it prevents you from disassembling/repairing/upgrading your clock after it’s built.

Lukas, however, isn’t the original creator of the clock. He credits the original design to Jacky Mok, who goes by the username ‘alstroemeria’ on Instructables. You can check out Jacky’s fully detailed build page on the Instructables website if you want to build your own Minimalist Kinetic Clock.

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