Sunrise Clock

This project was started around October of 2021. I started this project becuase I wanted a device to wake me up without the annoying beeping noise a normal alarm clock has. Initially, I drafted sketches of possible designs for the clock. After modeling my first design idea, I realized that it wouldn't work becuase there wasn't enough clearance for the custom board I designed. A video of my invention is shown below.

Pictured here, is the custom PCB I designed. It is based on an ATmega2560 chip. As mentioned before, my initial idea did not work becuase there was not enough space to fit the electronics inside. Luckily, I had not started manufacturing the invention yet. After I realized it would not work, I started designing the new clock around the shape of my PCB. I ended up with the CAD model pictured at the bottom as the final design. To manufacture the body of the clock, I 3D printed all the parts becuase I had access to a free makerspace at my University.

After all the parts were printed, I assembled the clock and plugged in all the wires. This is where I noticed a design flaw. While designing the PCB, I took into account the size of the PCB but forgot to factor in the height of the capacitors. This made the PCB uneven when screwed into the body. For instance, if the pcb is tightened all the way, the capacitors will go into the body of the clock. To fix this problem, I printed some spacers which are taller than the maximum height of the capacitors. This way, the PCB can be secured properly while remaining level.

After the assembly, of the clock, it was time for coding. I used the arduino IDE and created a program for the invention. Once that was done, the sunrise clock was fully operational. I even used it a couple nights to wake me up for school. Working on this project gave me valuable prototyping skills. Also, I learned to solve problems through building this device. Overall, this project was a success and allowed me to apply my knowledge to create a useful invention.