Miniature Microcontroller-Controlled Corpus Clock

Our client asked us to design a scaled down, digitally controlled version of the famous Corpus Clock. The Corpus Clock is a mechanical clock at Corpus Christi College, University of Cambridge. This clock displays the time using blue LEDs which are hidden or shown using an internal mechanical mechanism.

While the original clock is entirely mechanically controlled, our client wanted this scaled down version to use a microcontroller for simplicity.

We decided to use individually addressable multicolor LEDs (also known as Neopixels) for the lights. This allowed us to easily control which LEDs were on in order to replicate the unique movement of the Corpus Clock. It also allows for a large degree of customizability, as the LEDs could be changed to display a variety of colors.

With the onboard microcontroller, we were able to program a unique movement to the LEDs, resulting in a timepiece that is sure to draw attention in any room!